


I Just Can't Help Myself

by Hazel_Bludger



Series: Breaking House Stereotypes [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Harry Potter Next Generation, Hufflepuff, Hufflepuff Pride, Humor, Mild Sexual Content, Next Generation, Not Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Compliant, Original Character(s), Romance, Sexual Tension, Teen Angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-03
Updated: 2016-10-02
Packaged: 2018-08-19 06:44:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 35
Words: 146,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8194168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hazel_Bludger/pseuds/Hazel_Bludger
Summary: Dorothy "Thee" Longbottom wasn't your average Hufflepuff. But I guess being best friends with a Weasley and in love with a Potter could make anyone abnormal.





	1. I Just Can't Say No

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You know, your problem is that you’re too nice.” 
> 
> “Hey, Hufflepuff pride.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spent a lot of time surfing around on this site, and figured it was probably time to add my one real fic to it. Hope y'all enjoy!

Dorothy Longbottom had a lot of nervous habits. It was probably because she was nervous nearly all of the time. Currently, rather than biting her gnarly nails or running her fingers through her soft blonde hair until she began accidentally pulling it out, she had her hands on the yellow and black tie around her neck, wringing it between her hands, smoothing it back down against her shirt, and then squeezing the silk out of it again.  
  
“Dorothy?”  
  
She snapped back into reality, the reality she wanted so desperately to escape. “Sorry, what, James?”  
  
“I asked what you thought of my idea. Good?” he asked, not bothering to ask about the pained and uncomfortable look on her face. “You know, flowers, chocolate?”  
  
“No,” she said, releasing her tie. “Not even close. You want to get Jen back, right? Prove how much you love her? Flowers and chocolate are sweet, yes, but that doesn’t do anything to prove your love. You’ve got to make this personal. Show her how much you know who she is, that she’s not just some girl you can let slip away.”  
  
“This is so hard,” he said in frustration. “I love her, she loves me, why can’t we just be together again?”  
  
“She wants to make _sure_ you love her,” Dorothy said, picking up her quill as Professor McCain continued his lecture on the Patronus charm and its application, a subject that had reentered the NEWTS Charms curriculum after its prominence during the Potter Ages. “You did make out with that sixth year at the end of term party last year.”  
  
“I was drunk! She can’t hold that against me!”  
  
“Obviously, she does. And if you’re serious about this—”  
  
“I want her back, Dorothy. No question.”  
  
Dorothy bit her lip and nodded, her free hand once again yanking on her Hufflepuff tie. “Then stop moaning and start thinking. What does she like?”  
  
***  
  
Dorothy wanted to grab her books and run out of class after they were dismissed, but she didn’t. She walked out with James and stood by his side as they made their way down the corridor, while he continued to bounce ideas off of her to woo Jen Brady back into his waiting arms.  
  
“What do you have next?” James asked.  
  
“Huh? Oh, Potions with Ravenclaws.”  
  
James froze. “Is Jen in your class?”  
  
“Of course she is. Doesn’t she want to be a Healer?”  
  
Ignoring her, James continued, “Does she ever talk about me?”  
  
Dorothy wanted to lie. She wanted to tell him that she never mentioned how nice his hair was, how he always could make her laugh even when she was mad at him, and how she wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold out before she got back together with him. Dorothy didn’t want to tell him that she talked about James just as much as James talked about her. “Well?” James pressed.  
  
“Yeah,” Dorothy sighed. “She does.”  
  
James jumped with a whoop of joy. Dorothy frowned and started walking again. “What does she say?” James asked, catching up to her.  
  
“I don’t remember,” she said quickly, wanting the subject to change desperately.  
  
“Seriously, Dorothy? Come on. You have to remember something.”  
  
“I’m a bit busy trying not to fail, sorry,” she snapped. James looked surprised at her outburst. She immediately was overcome with regret. “Sorry, it’s just…well, you know how Potions is my worst subject. And I can’t apply to be an Auror without a passing grade.”  
  
“You want to be an Auror?” James asked. “Since when?”  
  
Dorothy looked at him in disbelief. “Since, well, forever! My dad was an Auror until my mum got pregnant, and I’ve always wanted to help people. Didn’t you ever wonder why we had so many of the same classes?”  
  
“I guess I never pictured you as an Auror,” James shrugged. “Always thought you’d teach or something. You’re too sweet.”  
  
“James, I’ve wanted to be an Auror longer than you have,” Dorothy said, obviously hurt. “I almost had an internship under your dad, but we couldn’t afford it.”  
  
“Really?” James said, obviously surprised. “Why didn’t you tell me?”  
  
Dorothy choked on the breath she’d just taken. “Are you kidding me? You and Freddie pushed me to go for it!” Then, against her better judgment, she added quietly, “Or do you stop remembering things about me when my shirt’s on?”  
  
James’s face hardened. “Dorothy.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“I don’t need you making me feel bad about what happened over the summer. We agreed to forget about it, remember?”  
  
Dorothy looked at him, her hurt evident in her eyes. “Do you regret it?”  
  
“Regret it?” James asked. “Hell no!” He looked at her, and a stupid grin slid onto his face. Dorothy felt horrendously dirty beneath it. “Trust me, I do _not_ regret what we did. Do you?”  
  
“No,” she said softly. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.”  
  
“You made me feel like a prat there for a second,” James said laughing.  
  
“Yeah,” she said, the ghost of a smile still on her face, obvious to anyone that there was nothing behind it. “It was rude.”  
  
“Let’s get you to Potions,” James said, taking her arms and leading her down a staircase.  
  
“You’re walking me to class?” she said, not bothering to hide her surprise and delight.  
  
“Yeah!” James said eagerly. “Maybe we’ll run into Jen, and I can talk to her!”  
  
“Oh,” Dorothy said, her face having fallen. “Okay. Makes sense.”  
  
“What’s wrong?” he asked.  
  
“Nothing,” Dorothy responded quickly. “Just tired, you know? First month back is a bit exhausting.”  
  
James smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulders in a brotherly way. “Aw, come on, Dorothy, you’ll be fine. Just think, seventh year! We’re almost done!”  
  
“Yeah,” Dorothy said, her eyes falling back to the floor as James blabbered on, not noticing her demeanor. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”  
  
***  
  
“There she is!” James hissed as they turned into the Potions corridor. Dorothy looked up and saw Jen Brady at the other end of the corridor, her thick red hair floating down over her shoulders as she walked, no, _flounced_ , to class. You could hear her chipper laughter echoing through the small space, and Dorothy couldn’t help but admire her perfection. It was almost annoying, really. “How do I look?”  
  
Dorothy turned her gaze to James, who was nervously messing with his hair. “Fine,” she said, grabbing his hands around the wrists. “She likes your hair.”  
  
James grinned. “She does?”  
  
“Let’s go, Romeo,” Dorothy said, leading him down to the door.  
  
“Hey, Thee!” Jen said with a smile. “You look cute today.”  
  
Dorothy felt her face heat up with embarrassment as she stammered out a thank you to Jen’s compliment. “You too,” she added.  
  
“Well, here’s your class, Dorothy. See you later?” James said, acting as though he hadn’t even noticed Jen, which was impossible for anyone. It was like she was a walking neon sign of perfectness.  
  
“Um, sure,” Dorothy said, wanting to shrink as she watched Jen’s smile falter.  
  
“James,” Jen said slowly. “Hey.”  
  
“Jen!” James said, smiling as he finally allowed himself to look at her. “What are you doing down here?”  
  
“Class,” she said. “You know.”  
  
“Yeah,” he said, running his hand through his hair nervously. “Makes sense.”  
  
Dorothy felt like she was going to throw up.  
  
“How’ve you been?” James asked. “You look absolutely brilliant. Bloody fantastic, really.”  
  
“Really? You think so?” she said, her eyes brightening.  
  
“Course I do. You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” James said, a slight blush tinting his ears.  
  
Jen bit her lip, obviously embarrassed. “You look pretty good yourself, Potter.”  
  
“Oh, it’s Potter now?” he teased.  
  
“Maybe.” She grinned saucily at him. “So what’ve you been up to?”  
  
“Blowing off homework, hounding my Quidditch team, dreaming of you…yourself?”  
  
Jen smiled. “Pretty much the same. Being Captain is much harder than I thought it would be.”  
  
“Agreed,” James said with a chuckle. “Luckily, Gryffindor is just exploding with athletic talent…” He trailed off, winking at her.  
  
Jen laughed. “Are you insinuating Ravenclaw isn’t?”  
  
He smirked. “Precisely.”  
  
“Well, I’m going to go to class now, see you later, James,” Dorothy said, dashing into the Potions classroom, not sticking around long enough to even hear a goodbye. Or to not hear one, which would probably just crush her.  
  
***  
  
“You know, I really hate it when you tell me about James because I just want to hit Bludgers at him in practice all the time afterwards, but I can’t.”  
  
Dorothy laughed from her spot on the library floor leaning up against a bookshelf, ankles crossed. Her shoes and satchel sat next to her and her ridiculously large Potions textbook was open on her lap. “Freddie, you’re sweet.”  
  
“Seriously, Dor, why do you let him treat you like that?” He asked, his handsome dark face pulled into a frown.  
  
“He doesn’t even realize, Fred,” she said looking down and toying with the fraying strings on the bottom of her skirt.  
  
“You know, your problem is that you’re too nice.” Freddie said, leaning against the stone wall and sliding down it to sit next to her. He unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled his sleeves up to his elbows, revealing brown, muscled forearms.  
  
“Hey, Hufflepuff pride,” she joked.  
  
“When will he push you too hard, Dor? Is it even possible?” he asked quietly. Dorothy didn’t answer. Honestly, she didn’t know the answer. “He keeps taking and taking. When will you finally put your foot down?”  
  
Dorothy leaned her head back against the stone. “I dunno, Fred. Maybe once there’s nothing left?”  
  
“Dor,” he said seriously.  
  
“I just can’t say no, Fred,” she said, stopping him. “You know what he means to me. He’s all I’ve ever wanted.”  
  
Freddie turned her head to face him. “You’re worth so much more than some meaningless snogging in his bedroom.”  
  
“You don’t understand, Fred,” Dorothy said, looking into his chocolate eyes and sighing. “I’d rather take what I can get than not have anything at all.”  
  
“He’s using you.”  
  
“I know.”  
  
“So if he asks for your virginity next time Jen doesn’t laugh at his jokes, will you become his slag too?”  
  
Dorothy gasped and broke the eye contact, quickly standing up and carrying her book to the table. “You’re supposed to be helping me with Potions, Freddie.”  
  
Freddie looked at her back and sighed. “Yeah. Course. You do realize I’m not even in the course anymore, right?”  
  
“You’re the jerk who tested out of NEWT level last year to get another free period to test designs.” She looked over at him and pouted. “Please? I’m lost without you.”  
  
“You’re lost with me,” he muttered standing. “What are you learning?”  
  
“The ways to distinguish them by physical characteristics. I’ve got a test next class.”  
  
“Well, that’s not too difficult,” Freddie said, loosening his Gryffindor tie and picking up the textbook.  
  
“We learned it today, but it was a little hard to hear over James this and James that.” Dorothy’s voice was filled with obvious dislike, and she continued to mumble nothings beneath her breath. Freddie peered at his best friend over the text book to see her twisting the ring on her finger. He rolled his eyes, realizing that she was torturing herself again. “Why’s she got to be so perfect anyway? No one is that great. Why does she have no flaws?!”  
  
“Dor. Get over it. You need to learn this.”  
  
She sighed and shook her arms out, nodding. “You’re right. So, poisons are usually bitter smelling, right?”  
  
***  
  
Lying in her four-poster that night, Dorothy couldn’t sleep. Her head was reeling, the words of others floating around, keeping her from relaxing into slumber.  
  
 _We agreed to forget about it, remember?_  
  
 _You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen._  
  
 _He’s so sweet. Maybe I should just let this whole thing go._  
  
 _I mean, I do love him._  
  
 _When will he push you too hard, Dor? Is it even possible?_  
  
 _So if he asks for your virginity next time Jen doesn’t laugh at his jokes, will you become his slag too?_  
  
Dorothy frowned, rolling over. She didn’t want to think about any of it now. Not how James used her, not how Jen wanted him back but was trying to hold out for dignity’s sake, not how Freddie wished she’d realize he wasn’t worth it. She reached over to her bedside table and opened the drawer, pulling out a seemingly innocent leather journal. She grabbed a quill and flipped it open to a section near the back that had been added magically.  
  
“Freddie?” she wrote. “You still up?”  
  
She stared at the parchment for a moment, biting her lip. Waiting.  
  
“Adding the alarm to these things was a really dumb idea,” appeared on the next line in his scraggly handwriting. She giggled quietly. “What’s up, Dor?”  
  
“I can’t sleep,” she wrote back.  
  
“So obviously that meant I couldn’t be sleeping either?”  
  
“I’m sorry. Tell me a story?”  
  
It took a moment for Freddie to respond, and Dorothy feared he’d closed the journal and gone back to sleep. Then: “Anything for you. Give me a second, my brain’s still a bit asleep.”  
  
“I love you, Freddie.”


	2. I Just Want to Forget

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She replaced everything with one word.
> 
> James.

_“I want you back by the dinner shift, Thee!” Hannah called from the door of the Leaky Cauldron, watching with distaste as her daughter ran up the cobbled street of Diagon Alley, weaving through the crowds with a large basket on her arm. “Don’t be late!”_  
  
 _Dorothy ignored her mother, already knowing the way her afternoon would pan out. She slowed as she approached the noisy doorway of Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, the shop that had become a second home to her over her lifetime._  
  
 _Grinning at the chaos she knew she would find inside, Dorothy pulled open one of the large doors and began to make her way through the crowd. She knew where he’d be, and she clutched the dark brown basket to her chest protectively. Passing through rambunctious school kids, laughing crowds, and product demonstrations, Dorothy finally managed to reach the check out desk and crawled beneath it._  
  
 _“Got quite a haul for Hogwarts this year, don’t ya, Ethan?”_  
  
 _The young boy digging in his pockets for money looked up and beamed. “You got it, Freddie!” he said. “We got plenty in store, don’t you worry!”_  
  
 _Freddie laughed, the sound pure and clean and distinct from all the others in the shop. Dorothy smiled next to him, watching his practiced hands wrap merchandise without a thought as he rang up the purchase. “Sounds brilliant, mate,” Freddie said, a mischievous twinkle ever prominent in his chocolate eyes dancing. “We’ll be looking forward to it, won’t we, Dor?” Freddie’s warm grin flashed onto her for a moment and he winked._  
  
 _Ethan looked at her expectantly and she laughed. “Of course we will!” Dorothy stammered, her face becoming a bright shade of red as Freddie laughed at her obvious discomfort of being put on the spot. She nudged Freddie as she ran a dainty hand through her long blonde hair. “You’ve got to make my last year at Hogwarts memorable for me, okay, Ethan?”_  
  
 _Ethan’s face lit up. “You got it!”_  
  
 _“Would you just look at those people skills?” Freddie joked, his face full of childish glee. “You’re a natural!”_  
  
 _“Shut up, you daft log,” Dorothy muttered. “You suck. I hate you.”_  
  
 _Freddie snorted, beginning to ring up his next customer. “Bollocks, sweetheart.”_  
  
 _Dorothy let out a grunt of frustration as she found herself laughing at him. She shoved him half-heartedly, and he laughed. “What’s up, Dor, you’re distracting me from my shift.”_  
  
 _“Oh, Merlin forbid,” she laughed, winking. “I just wanted to let you know I was here, with the extra trifle for your father. Honestly, you are the reason we can’t have nice things, spilling the beans to your dad all the time.”_  
  
 _Freddie shot her a grin. “He ups my pay when I do.”_  
  
 _“Oh, so killing our traditions is worth a few extra Sickles? You know my mum hates it when I steal food.”_  
  
 _“Ah, but then she looks at me and all her troubles melt away.”_  
  
 _Dorothy rolled her eyes. “I’ll be upstairs. I’m going to drop Georgie’s dessert off and then set up for us, alright?”_  
  
 _“I’ll be counting the minutes,” he lamented._  
  
 _Dorothy laughed, her cheeks tinting red again. “Oh, hush up, Freddie!”_  
  
 _She turned and scurried out from behind the counter, shooting him a saucy wink over her shoulder as she made her way to the back corner of the store. “Is that your little girlfriend, Fredrick?”_  
  
 _Freddie looked up into the old eyes of his customer, Mrs. Hannigan, who was buying small pranks for her grandson, like every week. “No,” he said. “That’s Dorothy Longbottom. She’s just my best friend.”_  
  
 _Mrs. Hannigan gave him a wise smile. “I’ve seen many people in love in my years, Fredrick. You’re one of them.”_  
  
 _He laughed, shaking his head. “We’re friends. Nothing more.” He sighed and looked up at her. “Now, would you prefer to pay me now or put it on your tab?”_  
  
 _Dorothy reached the spiral staircase and began to climb towards the upper tier of the shop where the offices were. She made her way down a brightly painted corridor towards a large oak door with a bronze plaque shining upon it:_ George Weasley: Co-Founder and Owner.  
  
 _Knocking twice, she pushed open the door and poked her head inside it. “Hello?”_  
  
 _“You can only come in if you have my goodies.”_  
  
 _Dorothy snorted with laughter. George Wealsey sat before her in a tall leather office chair, his feet crossed and propped up on his large desk that was overflowing with papers, an Aviatomobile flying around above him. It always surprised Dorothy of how much of a child George was when he was so overly old behind his eyes._  
  
 _“Do you really think I’d forget about my favorite Uncle?”_  
  
 _George beamed and let the flying toy car land on the sofa in the corner of the room, motioning for Dorothy to come inside his office. “I’ll be dead if Ange catches me eating trifle again, blasted woman put me on another one of her crazy diets,” he told her as she opened her basket on his desk. “Hand it over, I haven’t had any good food in weeks.”_  
  
 _Dorothy felt another blush tinting her cheeks and cursed herself. “Right out of the oven, Hannah Longbottom’s Famous Trifle,” she said, placing the dish in his hands._  
  
 _George let out a moan at the sight of it. “I love your mum, Thee. Really, truly do.”_  
  
 _“She always says the quickest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach,” Dorothy joked softly._  
  
 _He took a large bite of his dessert and sank into his chair. “She’s a brilliant witch. I owe you one.”_  
  
 _Dorothy smiled. “No, you don’t, and you know it.”_  
  
 _“No, really. Take something from the shop once you and Fred finish up. Have him record it. My treat.”_  
  
 _Dorothy leaned over the desk and pecked George’s cheek. “You’re sweet to me, Uncle George.”_  
  
 _“Not as sweet as this trifle is to me.”_  
  
 _Dorothy closed up her lunch basket and left his office, giving him a small wave over her shoulder before she slipped out. She walked down the corridor passing doors on her left, watching exuberant customers beneath her on the right. Freddie looked up and caught her eye, motioning that he had five more minutes until he could join her upstairs. She nodded and turned into the last door before the stairs she’d ascended earlier, and disappeared inside the employee break room._  
  
 _“Dorothy?”_  
  
 _Dorothy jumped, nearly dropping her basket onto the floor. “Merlin!” she gasped, clutching her basket to her chest as she turned. “You scared the life out of me!”_  
  
 _There was a deep chuckle, one that lingered on the side of sadness. “Sorry,” he said, standing from his chair._  
  
 _Dorothy’s heart was pounding in her chest as she looked at him. James Potter. His hair looked soft and clean, probably smelling of the musky scent he normally wore. He was wearing a faded Wheezes tee shirt and jeans, normal uniform for George’s employees. When her hungry blue eyes reached his however, their normal hazel cheeriness was watery and cold._  
  
 _“James? Are…are you alright?”_  
  
 _James forced a smile. “Course. Why wouldn’t I be?”_  
  
 _Dorothy set her basket down on one of the tables and slowly made her way towards him. “You look…sad.”_  
  
 _James shook his head, breaking the eye contact. “Nah, I’m alright. No need to worry.”_  
  
 _“Come on, James,” she said softly, taking his hand in hers, gesturing for him to sit with her. “I’ve known you since we were babies. I can tell when something’s wrong.”_  
  
 _James let out a shuddering sigh and placed his head in his hands. “I…I fucked up, Dorothy. I fucked up bad.”_  
  
***  
  
Dorothy looked over at Freddie and giggled. The greenhouses were wonderfully warm in comparison with the crisp fall air and Freddie had fallen asleep amidst the shrubbery lining the tables. Quickly peeking up, she saw her father was still animatedly discussing the Whomping Willow in preparation for their trip to study it up close and personal. Pulling her bottom lip between her teeth, Dorothy picked up her quill and aimed the feather towards Freddie’s ear, focusing on his steady breathing that let her know he was still asleep.  
  
He jolted awake as she twirled the end of her quill in his ear, letting out a small shout and slipping from his chair, landing with a loud bang on the greenhouse floor. Dorothy choked on her laughter burying her face in her hands as Freddie wheezed, trying to control his fear.  
  
“Uh, Freddie? Are you alright?” Neville asked, obviously shocked that not all of his NEWT level students were as entranced by the discussion of the caring for the limbs of the violent plant if injured during a defensive attack as he was.  
  
Freddie looked up and glared at his best friend who was currently trying not to explode into hysterics. “My butt fell asleep.”  
  
Dorothy looked over at him and bit down hard on her lips, failing at restraining her laughter as she began to snort uncontrollably, her eyes watering as she began to laugh, wheezing with sharp intakes of air and slamming her hand down on the table.  
  
Neville looked to be highly uncomfortable. He didn’t want to scold his daughter in front of the class, knowing how easily she could be embarrassed. However, he didn’t want to give her any special treatment since she was his daughter. Honestly, half of the time he wished she’d dropped his class.  
  
“Please control yourselves,” he said shooting them a look as Freddie climbed back onto his stool. “I don’t want to give you a detention.”  
  
“Sorry, Professor,” Dorothy managed, unable to look at her father or Freddie.  
  
Neville nodded curtly. “Okay. So, as I as saying, the branches of a Whomping Willow are like its arms, and if injured, must be cared for as such. Now, when approaching an injured tree, one must be very aware of the eminent risks…”  
  
“You suck,” Freddie whispered to Dorothy.  
  
She turned to him and smiled. “You’re a bad influence on me.”  
  
“How can I influence you while I’m asleep?”  
  
She chuckled, toying with her fingers and pretending to take notes. “Well, you were sleeping and I was bored.”  
  
He frowned. “So your solution was to put your quill in my ear.”  
  
“I learned from the best,” she said, batting her eyes at him.  
  
Freddie grinned. “After all this time…you _have_ learned something!”  
  
Dorothy rolled her eyes and shoved him lightly with her shoulder. “Oh, hush.”  
  
“Today…today is a _proud_ day. I’m gonna have to write my dad about this, you know.”  
  
She laughed. “Freddie!”  
  
“Dorothy!”  
  
Dorothy frowned. “That’s weird.”  
  
“What?” Freddie asked, curious.  
  
“You called me ‘Dorothy.’ Only James calls me that.”  
  
Freddie frowned. “Really?”  
  
“Yeah,” she said thoughtfully. Then, she smiled. “He’s the only person I allow.”  
  
Freddie nodded slowly, staring at her from the corner of his eye. He watched the small smile become a silly grin as she said, “He’s always called me Dorothy. Like it made me special… _beautiful_.  And it did, for a while. It was this special thing that he and I shared. My full name.”  
  
“Does he still make you feel special? Beautiful?” Freddie whispered.  
  
Her smile dimmed a little. “Sometimes. Sometimes, he makes me feel like I’m the only girl in the world, like I’m the only person he’d ever want to be around.”  
  
Freddie nodded. “And the rest of the time?”  
  
Dorothy shook her head. “You already know, Fred.”  
  
“How the hell is that worth it?” Freddie demanded, turning to her. “How is dealing with the bad worth anything at all?”  
  
“Why do you always have to bring this up, Freddie?” Dorothy tossed back. “Ever since I told you about James and me, all we do is talk about it! It’s all you ever seem to bring up. Don’t you think it’s on my mind enough? Maybe that I need some distraction?”  
  
Freddie sighed. “You’re my best friend. I want to make sure you aren’t making any mistakes.”  
  
“Well, as soon as I figure it out, you’ll be the first to know!” she snapped. “You’re my best friend, too, and I need you, Freddie. But I don’t need you constantly making me feel bad about myself over James.”  
  
“He’s the one who makes you feel bad about yourself.”  
  
“You pointing that out sure doesn’t help,” she snuffed.  
  
“I’m just trying to have your back.”  
  
Dorothy looked at him, a fire she could only ever show Freddie in her eyes. “If that’s what you call having my back, I really wish you wouldn’t.”  
  
***  
  
Dorothy was sitting on a desk in an abandoned classroom when James walked in. “Dorothy? Everything alright?”  
  
She smiled in relief when she saw him. “You came.”  
  
“Of course I did,” he said approaching her. “Your owl sounded urgent. Are you alright?”  
  
“I just,” she began. She stopped and looked up into his eyes. Those hazel eyes that were full of concern for her. That saw only her, if only for just this moment. “I just needed you. Is that okay? I know you’re trying to get back with Jen, and if you want you can just turn and walk out of here, but I would really just love to forget for a little while, and—”  
  
James cut off her babbling with his lips. Dorothy’s hands gripped his shoulders and she melted into his strong chest. He pulled back and smiled at her. “I’m always here when you need me, Dorothy.”  
  
She smiled again, her heart flying as she pulled him back into her, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and meeting his lips again, pouring out her emotions into the embrace. All of her anger and confusion towards Freddie and all of her love and pain towards James, pushing her and motivating their kiss as he pressed into her, his large hands untucking and sliding up her shirt, caressing her pale smooth skin as she ran her fingers through his soft black hair.  
  
His lips trailed down her chin and latched onto her neck, and she tilted it back, offering him more of her skin. “James,” she whispered as he touched her like no one else had. His hands were demanding, yet gentle, running over her torso confidently and unabashed. Everything was so familiar, but so enticing. She was drowning, drowning in her emotions, drowning in her pain, drowning in James.  
  
Her hands left his hair and moved to his tie, loosening it enough for her to unbutton his shirt and push it apart, now allowing her contact with his hot, hard skin. Dorothy’s legs wrapped around his thin waist, keeping him as close to her as she could, taking as much of him in as she could.  
  
She replaced everything with one word.  
  
 _James._  
  
***  
  
There was a loud beeping by her head. Frowning, Dorothy rolled over, ignoring it. She didn’t want to talk to Freddie.  
  
The beep interrupted her light sleep again, and she groaned, pulling the glowing diary from beneath her pillow. Grabbing her wand from her night stand, she whispered, “ _Lumos_.”  
  
Upon the page in Freddie’s scribbles were the words, “I’m sorry.”  
  
She reached back out to her night stand and grabbed the quill and ink. “Don’t be,” she replied. “You were just trying to be there for me.”  
  
“I knew how much it hurt you though. I was stupid. I am stupid.”  
  
She bit her lip. “We’re both stupid.”  
  
“I love you, Dor.”  
  
“Really?” she wrote back. “Tell me a story.”


	3. I Just Don't Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You’ve been in love with Dorothy since third year, Freddie."
> 
> “Well, I’ve got to get back to the Tower, see you around."

Dorothy’s Converse sneakers and school socks were laying stranded on the sandy grass by the edge of the Black Lake’s bank, her toes wiggling happily in the sand. The black and yellow tie was hanging loose around her thin neck and clung inside the flimsy collar of her untucked Oxford uniform shirt that had the top three buttons undone. Her sleeves had been rolled up to her elbows, and in one hand was a borrowed Transfiguration textbook from the Restricted Section of the library, in the other her wand. She was muttering the words quietly to herself as she read them, pacing back and forth and twirling her wand between her fingers. Her feet made designs in the sand as she walked, quickly washed away by the gentle ripple of waves created by the Giant Squid that was currently visible in the icy center.  
  
Water rolled over her feet again, but Dorothy didn’t seem to notice. Transfiguration had always been her best subject, her favorite subject, but she had a meeting with the Headmistress in only thirty minutes, and she was having trouble grasping the next concept.  
  
“Oi, Longbottom!”  
  
Dorothy looked up from her page with a confused look on her face. “Uh, hi, Fiona. Hope. What’s up?”  
  
Hope and Fiona were both Dorothy’s age and house, but the three of them had never really been friends outside of the common room due to Dorothy’s tightness with the Potter and Weasley kids. “Or we could just ask her, Fi. That’s an option. Never mind that she’s _studying_ ,” Dorothy heard Hope say sarcastically to her oblivious best friend.  
  
“No, no, it’s okay,” Dorothy said quickly. “I was just about to head back up to the school anyway. What do you want to ask?”  
  
Fiona smiled proudly, giving Hope an ‘I told you so’ look, and flipping her long brown hair over her shoulder. “Well,” she began, the two girls approaching the water’s edge where Dorothy was still standing. “As you know, Hope’s been getting a lot of heat lately around Hufflepuff. Ever since she made Captain.”  
  
Dorothy looked at Hope, studying her. She was short with flaming red hair and a temper to match. But Dorothy had always liked her, and they’d always gotten along well.  
  
“We were just wondering if you’d heard anything about her from other houses, like when you were with James and Freddie,” Fiona continued. “I mean, it’s not too hard to silence idiots in your own house, but you never know what goes on in the other three common rooms.”  
  
“Nothing bad,” Dorothy said. “I’m pretty sure when James found out that Hope had gotten Captain, too, he slammed his head into the wall. So he believes you deserve it.”  
  
Hope smirked and held her hand out to Fiona. “Distressing James Potter, ten points to myself.” Fiona laughed and slapped it.  
  
“And Freddie’s not one to talk about you behind your back. If he had a problem, he’d talk to _you_ about it.”  
  
“Thanks a bunch, Dora,” Hope said smiling. “Can you just keep an ear out? I knew that getting it over Bruce would be rough, but people are just getting a little ridiculous.”  
  
“Yeah, no problem,” Dorothy said with a smile as she watched them turn to go. “Oh, and Hope?”  
  
“Yeah?” Hope said, turning back around.  
  
Dorothy smiled. “I think you’ll make a great Quidditch Captain.”  
  
Hope grinned as Fiona said, “I knew I always liked you, Longbottom.”  
  
“Thanks, Dora,” Hope said, turning again and heading back up to school with Fiona beside her; the two of them loudly laughing and planning some crazy thing that they’ll never end up actually doing.  
  
Dorothy sighed and closed her book, heading up out of the sand into the grass, stopping to pull on her shoes and socks before continuing up the uneven terrain. She was humming an old Weird Sisters song to herself when she felt a hand on the small of her back. “Hey, gorgeous,” a low voice whispered in her ear.  
  
Dorothy giggled, her face turning a shade rivaling a tomato. “Oh, hush, Freddie,” she said, thumping him with her book.  
  
“My mother always told me that a pretty lady shouldn’t walk anywhere alone,” he continued, keeping his arm wrapped around her as his footsteps fell in time with hers.  
  
Dorothy snorted in a very unladylike fashion. “Killed the suave with a Mummy’s Boy line,” she joked, stepping outwards to trod on his foot.  
  
“Come on, every girl likes a Mummy’s Boy,” he said laughing, trying to dodge her feet.  
  
Dorothy threw her head back and laughed, looking right back to the ground to continue fighting him. “Whatever helps you sleep alone at night, Fredrick.”  
  
“Dor,” Freddie gasped, pretending to be wounded. In one swift motion, he bent down and slid his arm down her body to her knees and heaved Dorothy over his shoulder. Dorothy screamed, flailing around as he kept walking, and crying from her laughter.  
  
“Freddie! Freddie, I’m sorry! Put me down!” she begged.  
  
Freddie cackled with childish glee as she pounded her fists on his back. “You can struggle as much as you want, I’m bigger than you. You’re going to lose.”  
  
“Didn’t your mother ever tell you to stop when a girl tells you to?”  
  
Freddie choked on the breath he’d just taken. “When I’m on the verge of _raping them_ , a situation I never plan to be in, by the way, yes! Merlin, woman.”  
  
“This is the rape of my gravitational rights to have my feet on the ground.”  
  
“Hm, you see, mum never mentioned that one.”  
  
Dorothy snorted. “Maybe I’ll just have to write her then.”  
  
“Where are you headed anyway? You’ve been gone since lunch. Usually you hang around one of our common rooms during your free periods. Or the library.”  
  
“I refuse to speak to your butt, Freddie.”  
  
Groaning overdramatically, Freddie dropped Dorothy’s feet back onto the ground. She smiled and pecked his cheek. “Good kitty.”  
  
“I am a _lion_ , not a mere _kitty_.”  
  
Dorothy laughed, hitting him with her shoulder. “I was down at the lake. Studying for my private lesson with McGonagall.”  
  
Freddie nodded. “How are those going?”  
  
“Really well, surprisingly!” Dorothy said, her innocent face full of youthful excitement. “She says I should be able to attempt my first change in about a month! Just think, lessons every week since the second half of sixth year, finally resulting in a successful change!”  
  
Freddie beamed and her and took in his arms, spinning her in the air. “That’s fantastic, Dor!”  
  
She giggled, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, burying her face in his broad, muscled shoulder. “It’s weird to think about, you know?”  
  
“I can only imagine,” he said, setting her down again. “You coming to Gryffindor Quidditch trials?”  
  
“They’re tomorrow, right?”  
  
“Yeah, at four.”  
  
“You want me to?”  
  
Freddie shoved her shoulder lightly. “’Course I do, Dor. I wouldn’t invite you if I didn’t want to see you there. Besides, you’re my good luck charm.”  
  
Dorothy laughed. “Oh, like you need luck! You’ve been on the team since second year!”  
  
“And you’ve been in the stands every time I’ve been in the air.” He flashed her a toothy grin. “Obviously, there’s a connection.”  
  
“It’s a wonder you still have teeth with all that sweet talk,” she joked. “I wouldn’t miss them, Freddie.”  
  
He smiled. “Let’s get you to McGonagall’s, yeah?”  
  
“Lead the way, my gentlemanly Mummy’s boy!”  
  
***  
  
“I had a question on a section of the book you asked me to check out, Professor,” Dorothy said, approaching McGonagall’s large desk. She opened the book to the page she’d marked earlier and continued by saying, “It says here that in the Animagus form you can communicate with other animals dependant on concentration and desire, but you can’t communicate with humans. Would you be able to focus enough on a human to communicate with them and not other animals, or is it just animal communication? And what if you can’t focus enough? Will you get locked in a world with no one to talk to?”  
  
Professor McGonagall chuckled, taking a sip of her tea. “Miss Longbottom, please sit.” Dorothy did as she was told. “Now, when in your Animagus form, your mind is in limbo between that of yourself and that of a human. You are in such a state that you still think and observe as yourself, but you cannot communicate with your own species. Communicating with animals is second nature when in Animagus form. It is not something you actively seek out to accomplish, it just happens. You think as a human, but cannot form the words of human speech with your animal mind. Does that make sense?”  
  
Dorothy nodded. “I think so. I can understand humans, I just can’t verbally communicate with them like I can with other animals?”  
  
Professor McGonagall smiled. “Precisely.” She stood from her oversized desk chair and motioned for Dorothy to follow her into the center of the large office. “Now, you have made exceptional progress in this study since we began so many months ago. I must say, I am very proud to call you my pupil in such a complicated bit of magic.”  
  
“Thank you, Professor,” Dorothy said, her face reddening. “I’m just glad you agreed to teach me. Most people think a seventeen year old Animagus could be irresponsible.”  
  
Minerva gave her a warm smile. “I knew a few Animagi even younger than yourself, dear, and they were most brilliant wizards. I do not believe age makes one irresponsible, but choices. Sometimes, an eighty year old man can choose to behave as a two year old, while a four year old may hold the weight of the world on their shoulders. It is the wizard, not the number.”  
  
Dorothy smiled. “Now,” Professor McGonagall continued. “The last thing you need to learn about the art of an Animagus form is the process of one’s first shift. The first time can be uncomfortable, even painful, but only for a moment. It is also the longest shift you will ever endure. Do you remember what happens first?”  
  
***  
  
Dorothy placed the spoon back in her mouth upside down so her tongue filled the concavity and she sucked on the cold metal. “Um,” she said, her mouth opening and closing with a loud suction noise over the utensil. “Favorite feeling?”  
  
Freddie was sitting across from her, balancing his own spoon on his nose. “Hitting a Bludger’s sweet spot. Favorite place in the castle.”  
  
Dorothy looked over at him and frowned, dropping her spoon in her carton of ice cream. “You know that one.”  
  
Freddie chuckled, inadvertently knocking the spoon off of his face. He pouted, then caught Dorothy’s gaze. “’Course I do. Just like you knew the last one. I know everything about you and you know everything about me, Dor.”  
  
“Really?” Dorothy said, leaning her head back against the steel refrigerator she was currently leaning against. “Are you sure?”  
  
“What’s the weirdest thing I’ve ever eaten?”  
  
“The stuff between your toes when you were four years old,” she answered without hesitation. “Thankfully, your mum caught you before you could eat James’s.”  
  
Freddie raised his eyebrow to say, “See? I told you so.” Dorothy frowned. “No, there has to be something. I don’t know who you like!” she said excitedly.  
  
Freddie scoffed. “You know every detail of every bird I’ve had feelings for.”  
  
“Well, there has to be something you don’t know about me,” she said confidently.  
  
Freddie laughed out loud, throwing his head back into the wooden cabinet he was leaning against on the opposite side of the kitchen. “Try me,” he challenged.  
  
“Okay,” she said, adjusting herself into a more comfortable position. “What position do I sleep in?”  
  
“If it’s cold, you’re on your left side curled up, if it’s hot, you’re spread eagle on your stomach with your feet sticking out of the blankets,” he answered, shoving a large bite of ice cream in his mouth. “And,” he said, trying to swallow the cold liquid. “If you’re sharing the bed, you don’t touch a girl at all, but you’ll wake up completely interlaced with a bloke.”  
  
Dorothy frowned. “Favorite seat in the common room and favorite position.”  
  
“In Hufflepuff, it’s the black leather chair by the fire curled up beneath a blanket. In Gryffindor, it’s the couch lying on your back with your head in my lap.”  
  
“What’s my favorite thing to wear to bed?”  
  
“My fifth year Quidditch jersey because it’s just big enough.” Freddie laughed at the surprised look on her face. “I’m telling you, Dor, there is nothing we don’t know about the other. You could easily answer all those questions about me.”  
  
Dorothy tilted her head to the right side and started to think aloud. “On your back with your right arm and leg bent, you don’t sleep in the same bed as guys, and you like to hold a girl against your chest. You like the couch with my head in your lap and the floor in front of my chair with your legs stretched out. And you wear the boxers from that day. If it’s cold, you’ll leave your tee shirt on, too.”  
  
“Boom,” Freddie said, grinning. “When will you accept the fact that I’m always right?”  
  
Dorothy snorted. “As if that’s ever the truth.”  
  
“It is right now.”  
  
Dorothy pouted, scooped a large amount of ice cream out of her carton with her spoon, and then flung it at Freddie’s face. She grinned as it landed on his nose. “Semantics, Weasley.”  
  
Freddie took a deep breath, loading up his own spoon. “You shouldn’t have done that, Longbottom.” He flung the ice cream on his spoon at her, laughing as the wad of melting ice cream landed on her hairline and slid down her forehead into her carton.  
  
She squeaked, staring at him with wide eyes. Abandoning her spoon, she shoved her hand into the carton and, wincing, pulled out a handful of ice cream. Lunging forward, she smeared it across his face, in his hair, and down his chest. Freddie roared, laughing, pining her beneath him on the kitchen floor with one hand and did the same to her. She was too busy squealing from the cold to hear his breath hitch as he brushed over her breast with his hand.  
  
She did however realize that he’d loosened up on her slightly and managed to flip him onto his back, straddling his waist and shoving his hands down into the floor. Her blonde hair was stringy and covered with ice cream, falling into their faces as they stared at each other, chests heaving. She smirked at his surprised expression. “I win.”  
  
“Your nose is about to drip on me,” he said simply, staring up at her, something unrecognizable swirling in his brown eyes.  
  
She leaned down towards him. “What?”  
  
Freddie, keeping his eyes locked with hers, pressed his wrists into the ground harder for leverage and closed the small gap between them, pressing his lips to the pool of ice cream about to slip off of the tip of her nose. He sucked gently, his tongue lapping at her slightly, then pulled back, laying back down on the ground. “There. Now I won’t get ice cream dripping in my eyes.”  
  
Her eyes searched his, obviously extremely confused. “Yeah, of course. Wouldn’t want that.”  
  
There was an uncomfortable silence as Dorothy tried to comprehend what had just happened and why something so silly as licking ice cream off of her nose left it tingling and her heart pounding. “Uh, Dor? It’s getting kind of late. We should probably go before the House Elves come back.”  
  
Dorothy scrambled off of him to where she’d been sitting previously, her head spinning. “Right! Should we clean up?”  
  
Freddie gave her a questioning look as he stood. “Eh, maybe a simple cleaning spell. We should probably shower in Hufflepuff though.” He walked over to her and offered his hand to help her to her feet. Still staring wide eyed at him, she took it and allowed him to pull her up. He pulled a little too hard and Dorothy lost her balance, falling straight into his chest, grabbing at him for salvation. He caught her easily as she clawed at his shoulders for stability with one arm around her petite waist. “You okay, Dor?”  
  
“I don’t know,” she said honestly. “I feel sort of funny. Maybe I’ll go to bed early tonight.”  
  
Freddie nodded. “Okay. Let me shower first, then I’ll be up in the Tower by the time you’re done.”  
  
Dorothy smiled faintly. “Sounds good. I don’t know if Hope and Fi are already up there or not, so we might have to wait.” Dorothy suddenly realized she was being held flush against Freddie, their faces only inches apart. Her eyes danced over his face, stopping at his lips. Unknowingly, she licked her own. “Should we, uh…should we go?”  
  
Freddie unwound his arm from her back and let her stand on her own, then took a few steps back. “We should. You wanna do it, or should I?”  
  
“The last time you did a cleaning charm, you set an oven on fire,” she said, snorting. “I got this.”  
  
Freddie laughed, as she began to wave her wand around the kitchen gracefully, muttering charms. “One time,” he said, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist. “Hurry, I’m sticky,” he whined.  
  
She finished her spell and said, “Whose fault is that?”  
  
“Yours.”  
  
Dorothy pulled out of his embrace and turned to him, smirking. “That’s beside the point.”  
  
“That _is_ the point, Dor.”  
  
“Oh, shut up,” she huffed, crossing her arms. “I’m giving you my shower.”  
  
***  
  
The seventh year Hufflepuff girls’s dormitory was empty when they entered, and Freddie went straight into the bathroom to clean up. Left alone, Dorothy leaned against the wall and slid down it, head in her hands. What the hell had happened? One second they’re flinging ice cream at each other, then he goes and licks it off of her face? What made him do that? And why hadn’t she stopped him?  
  
The door to the dormitory banged open loudly causing Dorothy to jump.  
  
“Uh, Dora?” Hope said, noticing her on the floor. “Are you okay?”  
  
Fiona frowned looking at her. “And are you covered in ice cream?”  
  
The shower started as Dorothy opened her mouth, and her roommates turned to the bathroom. “Who’s in the shower?” Fiona asked.  
  
“Probably Freddie,” Hope said, sharing a look with Fiona. Strong, clear baritone notes came floating out of the bathroom in the tune of an old Celestia Warback song Freddie’s grandmum had always loved, and Hope and Fiona laughed. “Yup, Freddie.”  
  
Dorothy had scrambled to her feet at this point, and approached the mirror in the corner, staring at her reflection. She was attempting to do something with her ice cream covered locks. “We had an ice cream fight in the kitchen. He’s just showering first.”  
  
Hope frowned, and looked over at Dorothy. “There’s something else on your mind.”  
  
“No,” Dorothy said quickly, sighing as more hair fell into the ice cream on her face. “I’m just tired. I want to get to bed.”  
  
“So you let Freddie shower first?” Fiona asked. “Why? You could be done by now.”  
  
“He’s got to get all the way back up to Gryffindor Tower before curfew,” Dorothy explained.  
  
“No, he doesn’t,” Hope said. “He sleeps here all the time. You know Fi and I don’t mind.”  
  
“He’s not sleeping here tonight,” Dorothy said, the edge obvious in her words. “He’s going back to Gryffindor.”  
  
“Did you guys get in a fight or something?” Hope asked, her brow furrowed in worry.  
  
“No,” Dorothy said. “He’s just not sleeping here tonight!”  
  
The shower suddenly stopped and Dorothy’s head snapped towards the bathroom. “Dor, shower’s free!” his voice rang out through the room.  
  
Dorothy shook her head, trying to orient herself. “I’ll be right in,” she called back. Grabbing her large, fluffy towel, she headed to the bathroom. She turned back to her roommates. “He’s not sleeping here.”  
  
She then entered the bathroom. Freddie was still shirtless, buttoning one of the extra pairs of trousers he had stashed here for times like this. “You look yummy,” he joked, running his finger over her cheek and licking the ice cream from it. “Thinking back, our fight was really a waste of ice cream.”  
  
Dorothy, unable to speak, just nodded. Freddie pulled on a tee shirt and grabbed his socks and sneakers. “I’ll put these on outside so you can hop in,” he said.  
  
“Bye,” she whispered.  
  
He smiled at her. “See you tomorrow.”  
  
The door closed behind him, and Dorothy let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.  
  
***  
  
Freddie went and sat on Dorothy’s bed to pull on his shoes and socks. Across from him, Hope and Fiona were perched on what he guessed was Hope’s four poster, staring at him intently.  
  
“Hello,” he said, looking up at them brightly. “Enjoying the view?”  
  
“We know what you’re up to, Freddie,” Hope said smiling.  
  
Freddie raised an eyebrow, shaking out his other sock. “I’m up to something?”  
  
“You’re always up to something, you’re a Weasley,” Fiona snapped.  
  
“Simmer,” Hope told Fiona. She turned back to Freddie, who was shaking with laughter as he tied his shoe. “We mean with Dora.”  
  
“Enlighten me,” he said, rolling his eyes.  
  
“You’re trying to get her to fall out of love with James and in love with you,” Fiona said bluntly. “Finally.”  
  
“Thank you for completely destroying that plan, Fiona,” Hope said, annoyed. “Merlin, I can’t take you anywhere!”  
  
“I went for the element of surprise,” Fiona said grinning.  
  
“More like the element of stupidity,” Hope muttered.  
  
“Well, considering the boy hasn’t breathed in about thirty seconds, I’d say I’m spot on.”  
  
Hope turned her gaze back onto Freddie who was frozen. “Freddie?”  
  
“You two are mental,” he said, flatly, his eyes scared. “And what do you mean, finally?”  
  
“You’ve been in love with Dorothy since third year, Freddie,” Hope said.  
  
“Well, I’ve got to get back to the Tower, see you around,” Freddie said quickly, jumping up from Dorothy’s bed and hurrying out of the room.  
  
Fiona sniggered. “Ah, young love.”  
  
“They will have the cutest babies,” Hope joked. “Now get out of my bed.”


	4. I Just Can't

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “So will you come to trials?” 
> 
> “Sure! Girls love a Quidditch player.”
> 
> “You bet they do, kid.”

Dorothy sat in high in the stands as she watched the potential Gryffindor players zoom around the pitch, silently critiquing their form. Although she’d never actually played Quidditch, she knew the sport better than most professionals. She knew what to look for in a player and what potential a rookie might have. She followed all the teams and kept her own stats, even advising both Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. When the World Cup came around, people had learned to trust her call, because she was right ninety-five percent of the time. Freddie simply invited her to trials as a formality, and he always had. He knew she’d be there either way; she loved it all too much not to go.  
  
She watched as James released the Snitch for the Seeker group, with the usual rules. Catch it before Albus, you get the spot. If you don’t, try again next year. Gryffindor had the firm belief that each player had to earn their spot on the team, and was always very serious about everyone’s tryout. Dorothy found the Snitch in the air easily, and knew Albus would get it in a few more seconds.  
  
“What’d you think so far?” Freddie asked, floating in front of her.  
  
“I think that Albus is about to realize the Snitch is beneath the far hoop,” Dorothy replied nonchalantly, smiling as Albus flew effortlessly over to the flying ball and wrapped his hand around it.  
  
“You’ve got a gift,” Freddie said chuckling. “I don’t understand why you never played.”  
  
Dorothy tore her eyes from the pitch and looked to Freddie, shrugging. “I like to watch.”  
  
“You could’ve gone pro,” he pushed. “You’re wicked on a broom.”  
  
She blushed. “I don’t _want_ to go pro. I want to put Dark Wizards in Azkaban.”  
  
Freddie pulled a face. “I know. That makes me nauseous.”  
  
Dorothy laughed, snorting quietly at the end. “When do the Beater trials start?”  
  
Freddie looked down at James, who was currently instructing the group of prospective Keepers. “Soon. I should head back down.”  
  
Dorothy nodded. “I’ll be here. I think I’m just going to hang out, Hufflepuff’s got the pitch half an hour after you guys, and I brought my Transfiguration essay. It’s too nice to do homework inside.”  
  
“I’ll find you after trials for the meeting,” Freddie said with a smile. “I need to copy that anyway.”  
  
Dorothy laughed, sticking her tongue out at him. “Go, before you get kicked off the team.”  
  
“Okay, okay,” he said, turning his broom back towards James and the other students. “By the way, I like your shirt.”  
  
Freddie zoomed off and Dorothy looked down at herself with a smile. She was currently sporting his fourth year Quidditch jersey, the only one that fit her perfectly enough to wear outdoors. It was faded and worn, stained permanently from sunshine and sweat. But she loved it all the same. Her best friend’s name was written proudly across her shoulders. The only one she might prefer would be his cousin’s.  
  
***  
  
Rather than pulling the half completed Transfiguration essay out to complete as the Gryffindors filed back into the locker rooms, Dorothy pulled out a gold-embossed, leather-bound book and a fountain pen, opening it to the next fresh page. She folded the corners of the thick parchment pages in and wrote in large, thick letters: Hogwarts Quidditch, 2022-2023.  
  
She turned the page and titled the new one: Gryffindor. She listed her choices for the team and positions, as well as a short explanation of each choice.  
  
“Picking the team again, I see,” James joked from behind her. Dorothy chuckled as James came and sat on one side of her while Freddie sat on the other. “Well, let’s see then.” James reached for the book.  
  
“Whoa, there,” she said, clutching it to her chest. “You don’t get to touch it.”  
  
James rolled his eyes as Freddie laughed. “Whatever. Just tell me, Longbottom.”  
  
“Merlin, James, you really don’t know how this works, do you?” Freddie said, chuckling. “You gotta offer your picks first. She’s an _adviser_ , not the Captain.”  
  
Dorothy smirked. “Thank you, Freddie.”  
  
“But she’s brilliant,” James sputtered. “I’m just going to go with her picks, she knows that.”  
  
“I don’t tell you my picks,” Dorothy said, exasperated, a light blush from James’s first comment tinting her face. “I make you question your own. So, lay them on me. Starting with Seeker.”  
  
“Albus, obviously,” James said. “He caught it first every round.”  
  
“He needs to work on his reflexes. He’s got a good eye, but he’s asking to get knocked off his broom. Keeper.”  
  
James looked at her inquisitively. “Rose. She’s the best in the school, you know that.”  
  
Dorothy nodded. “She’s weak on her left side. Have your Chasers aim there more during practice.”  
  
James looked at Freddie, an aghast expression on his face. Freddie was beaming, staring at Dorothy. “Is she always like this?”  
  
“Always,” Freddie nodded.  
  
“Beaters,” Dorothy pushed.  
  
“Well, I’m keeping Fred, obviously, and I liked Finnegan’s arm.”  
  
Dorothy pursed her lips. “Finnegan? He’s good, I’ll give you that. But you’ve gotta remember, your Beaters are a team. They’ve got to be able to work in sync in the air and know exactly what their partner is doing.”  
  
“Finnegan was the best new recruit!” James cried.  
  
“I know,” Dorothy said, sharing a look with Freddie. “Think of it this way—if you had to only take one Beater, who would it be?”  
  
“Fred,” James said.  
  
“Thanks, mate,” Freddie said grinning.  
  
“Hush, Freddie, you were the obvious choice,” Dorothy commanded with a smile. She turned back to James. “Okay, so you have Freddie. He’s your strength. You’re going to want to cater your Beaters to Freddie’s strengths.”  
  
“I think Freddie and Finnegan would make a good team,” James pushed.  
  
Freddie raised his eyebrow at his cousin questioningly. “Were you at the same trial I was?”  
  
“He’s good, Fred!” James snapped. “And it’s _my_ team. You and Finnegan are my Beaters, and that’s final.”  
  
Dorothy shrugged. “Okay. So, let’s talk Chasers.”  
  
“Me, Roxanne, and Lily,” he said. James then glared at Dorothy. “Unless you want to fight me on that one, too.”  
  
Dorothy’s eyes widened, and she felt them fill with tears. “No. They’re fine.”  
  
Freddie’s jaw had tightened dangerously as he glared at his cousin. “James,” he growled.  
  
James ignored Freddie and let out a laugh. “Great!”  
  
“Well, there’s your team,” Dorothy said softly, closing her book.  
  
James slapped his legs and jumped to his feet. “Sounds great!” He reached out and pulled Dorothy to her feet and planted a fat kiss on her lips. “Thanks for everything, I’ve gotta go meet Jen. Said she wanted to talk.”  
  
James bounded out of the stands. Once he was out of sight, Freddie roared, jumping to his feet to go after him. “Freddie!” Dorothy cried, leaping onto Freddie’s back.  
  
“Dor, get off of me so I can go gut him,” Freddie said.  
  
“No!” she said, her grip tightening. “Freddie, calm down!”  
  
“Dorothy!” he roared, trying to shake her off.  
  
“Freddie, breathe!” she commanded.  
  
“He kissed you,” he raged, his body shaking. “He bloody disrespects you after asking for you help, then fucking kisses you to go run off to some other bird.”  
  
“Freddie, it doesn’t matter!” Dorothy pleaded, her fingers digging into him.  
  
“He’s hurting you! He made you cry!”  
  
“You’re scaring me!”  
  
Freddie froze at her words. “Dorothy, I need you to get off of me. And then I need you to shock me.”  
  
Dorothy clambered off of his back and quickly walked to stand in front of him. “How do I shock you?”  
  
“I don’t know, I don’t care,” he hissed between clenched teeth. “But you need to shock me now, and it needs to be big. Distract me from James, or so help me, I’ll be one of those wizards you’re throwing in Azkaban. I got about two seconds of control before he’s ground beef.”  
  
Heart pounding, she grabbed Freddie’s face and pulled it to her own, covering his mouth with hers. Freddie froze, all of his anger melting away as she held her lips solidly against his, not moving. Before he even realized what was happening, his hand moved up to her cheek and pushed through her hair, pulling her face up closer to his by the back of her head as he deepened the kiss, using his other hand to pull her flush against him. Overwhelmed, Dorothy melted into Freddie and allowed him to overtake her senses.  
  
Suddenly, Freddie jumped back, running his hands through his hair and breathing heavily. “Fuck. Okay. That worked. I’m good. You good? I’m good. Wow, okay, that’s a fun feeling.” He shook his head out, trying to calm himself. He turned back to Dorothy, her eyes curious. “I’m sorry.”  
  
“No,” she said quickly. “It’s okay. Are you good? Can we talk?”  
  
“Yeah!” Freddie said a bit too quickly. “Yeah, sure.”  
  
Dorothy led him back down to the seats they had been in before and sat down with him. “You should be beating with—”  
  
“Tyrone Thomas. No question. Not only is he younger, so he can have more time on the team, but he and I had a better mojo. Finnegan was too busy showing off to hit the Bludger, even though he had better aim. You can teach aim.”  
  
Dorothy smiled. “I’ve taught you well.” She nudged him playfully and he laughed. Straightening, she continued, “Your Chasers will be weak this year. I would’ve told him what I thought, but he didn’t want to hear it.”  
  
Freddie’s brow furrowed. “We’ve got the same Chasing team as last year.”  
  
“I know. But with you and Louis Beating last year, it covered up their mistakes. The three of them are a good team, but James is the best scorer. Lily’s aim needs a lot of work, and Rox has got to learn how to fake. He’s not going to give that nearly enough focus, and the team will suffer.”  
  
Freddie nodded. “He should’ve listened to the master, ‘cause he sure as hell won’t listen to me.”  
  
Dorothy nodded. “I’m glad you listen to me.”  
  
Freddie shot her an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry I scared you.”  
  
Dorothy reached over and grabbed his hand. “It’s okay. I just haven’t seen you that angry in a long time.” She paused, thinking. “Since you found Rox crying after that Ravenclaw broke up with her, actually.”  
  
Freddie cracked his neck at the reminder. “He was a little bitch who had no right dating my sister in the first place, let alone breaking her heart.”  
  
“I know, I know,” Dorothy said, smiling. “Sorry for planting one on you. It was the only thing I could think of to shock you besides nailing you in the knads.”  
  
Freddie winced. “I’d take a kiss before a knee any day. And it’s okay, you didn’t have much to work with.”  
  
“I’m just glad it worked,” Dorothy said laughing. “And now we really know everything about each other!”  
  
“What?” Freddie asked, laughing at her.  
  
“We know if the other is a good kisser,” she said, her cheeks igniting.  
  
“Well?” Freddie said, urging her to continue.  
  
“Oh, no,” she said laughing. “I don’t kiss and tell.”  
  
“Bollocks! You always tell me!”  
  
“Not when it’s _you_ I’ve kissed!”  
  
***  
  
By the time Hufflepuffs started arriving, Dorothy and Freddie were already making predictions about the Hufflepuff team.  
  
“Obviously, Hope’s Seeking and Fiona’s Beating. Bruce will be Chasing, with Templeton and the Reserve from last year, Vienna,” Freddie said. “But you guys had a lot of people graduate.”  
  
“There were a bunch of nobodies on the list in the common room,” Dorothy said, squinting down at the pitch. “Merlin, where is everyone?”  
  
“What?” Freddie asked, looking to the pitch. “Whoa.”  
  
In the center of the pitch were four people: Hope Jacobs, Fiona Little, Jesse Templeton, and Marcus Vienna. “When were trials supposed to start?” Freddie asked, checking his watch.  
  
“Six thirty,” Dorothy replied. “What time is it?”  
  
“Six fifty,” he said, his voice laced with disbelief. “There’s only four people down there.”  
  
“What’s going on?” Dorothy asked.  
  
Freddie jumped to his feet and grabbed Dorothy’s hand. “Let’s go find out,” he said, dragging her out of the stands.  
  
“Hope!” Freddie called, pulling Dorothy onto the pitch behind him. “Where are all of your recruits?”  
  
“Bruce,” she said coldly. “Tabitha Bruce threatened everyone who signed up to make their life a living hell if they showed up to trials today. She’s just jealous that I got Captain over her and is trying to get me kicked out of power!  
  
“Well, you know what? She wins! She can have the position! I don’t want it if blackmail is what it comes to.” Hope’s eyes were full of tears as she looked at the three players standing on the field. “Thank you so much for coming. It means the world to me.”  
  
“I’m going to ring her little neck,” Fiona growled. “That bitch.”  
  
“I guess we’ll have to cancel trials. I’ll talk to Professor Finch-Fletchley in the morning and have him give the team to Bruce. If she can’t handle me as Captain, whatever. I just want to play.”  
  
“No,” Fiona snapped. “You are not giving her your Captaincy! I will not allow it!”  
  
“I don’t have much of a choice!” Hope shot back. A single tear rolled down her cheek. “Merlin, she just can’t let me have one thing, can she?”  
  
“You aren’t giving up your spot, Hope,” Dorothy said. “I’ve got an idea.”  
  
“What can you do, Dora?” Hope said. “That book of yours isn’t going to magically give me three more players.”  
  
“No,” Dorothy agreed. “Just give me until seven thirty. I’ll be back.”  
  
Dorothy grabbed Freddie’s hand and began running off the pitch with him. “What are you up to, Longbottom?” Fiona called after them.  
  
“Just trust me!” she yelled back.  
  
“Dor, what the hell are we doing?” Freddie demanded as they ran.  
  
“Go get the map,” Dorothy said, flipping through her book. “I’ll start making a list of who. We’re getting Hope a team if it kills me.”  
  
***  
  
“Dor, it’s a hopeless cause. Even if Layton does agree, that’s only six players. You still need a ­­Keeper,” Freddie reminded her as they chased down Greg Layton’s dot on the Marauder’s Map with Kyle Reed in tow.  
  
“Leave that to me,” Dorothy said. They turned down a corridor and saw Greg Layton, a third year who’d tried out for the Hufflepuff team for the first time last year standing with some of his friends. “There he is.”  
  
“Oi, Layton!” Freddie called. The small freckled boy looked up in shock. “Yeah, you. Come here.”  
  
Waving goodbye to his friends, Layton hurried to Freddie’s side. “You’re Freddie Weasley.”  
  
“Yes, I am. This is Dorothy Longbottom and Kyle Reed.”  
  
“Hi,” he said breathlessly. “What’s up?”  
  
“We’re here about the Hufflepuff Quidditch team,” Dorothy said, smiling.  
  
“Tabitha Bruce said trials were cancelled,” he said in confusion.  
  
“They’re not,” Dorothy said. “They’re going on right now, and we need one more Chaser to tryout so there can be a Quidditch team with Hope Jacobs as Captain.”  
  
“Oh, she’s cute!”  
  
Dorothy snorted loudly. “Yes, she is,” Freddie said grinning. “So will you come to trials?”  
  
“Sure!” he said excitedly. “Girls love a Quidditch player.”  
  
Freddie slapped Greg on the back and laughed. “You bet they do, kid.”  
  
“Hurry, let’s get to the pitch,” Dorothy said, taking off.  
  
***  
  
“Dora, who are they?” Hope questioned from her seat on the ground with her teammates.  
  
“I’m glad you asked,” Dorothy said smiling. “We have fifth year Beater, Kyle Reed. Tried out last year but was cut because his aim was a bit off. Easily fixable.” She lifted one of Kyle’s lanky arms and frowned. “Could do to lift a few weights, but Fiona can have him in shape in no time.” Dorothy moved to Greg. “And we also have third year, Greg Layton. Also tried out last year. Good shot, easily distracted, butter fingers. Nothing that can’t be fixed with a little practice. It’s not ideal standards for Quidditch trials, I mean, you can’t test how well your defense and offense will work together, but you’ve got the positions covered.”  
  
“You’ve forgotten a Keeper,” Jesse said, running a hand through his long black hair. “So we’re still fucked.”  
  
“No, I didn’t,” Dorothy said. “As a Keeper, you’ve got seventh year Dorothy Longbottom. Never tried out. Knows the game better than anyone.”  
  
Freddie’s jaw dropped. “What?!” he demanded.  
  
“What do you think, Hope?” Dorothy said, ignoring Freddie.  
  
Hope slowly stood. She looked at Dorothy’s nervous face and let out a choked sob, running into her arms. “Thank you!”  
  
Dorothy hugged her back, beaming in relief. Freddie stared at Dorothy in shock. He was one of the few people that had seen her play. Gryffindor just might have something to worry about.  
  
“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s get to practice!” Hope said, clapping. “Grab brooms from storage, we’ll just run a few drills to see how everyone works together in the air then head in for dinner.”  
  
“Wait for me?” Dorothy asked Freddie sweetly.  
  
He grinned. “Course.”  
  
“Hey, Dora, you might just have to show me that book of yours,” Hope said, tossing her a broom.  
  
Freddie laughed and said, “That’s not how it works,” as Dorothy nodded and said, “Okay. Back up in the common room. You, me, and Fi can make a night of it.”  
  
“She can _see_ the book?” Freddie shouted. “ _I’ve_ never even gotten to see the book!”  
  
“You’ve seen certain pages,” Dorothy said, rolling her eyes. “She’ll see what she needs. She’s my Captain. You’re my competition.”  
  
Freddie watched in shock as Dorothy mounted her broom and kicked off into the air, wobbling slightly from lack of practice, and then righted herself. “This is going to be interesting,” she muttered to herself.  
  
***  
  
Dorothy was alone in the library during dinner, focusing on her Potions essay. She’d written it twice already, having asked Freddie to look over it and fix any mistakes, and she still wasn’t satisfied. Suddenly, a plate full of food floated over her parchment and landed shakily before her. She looked up to see James standing there, hands deep in his pockets, a serious look on his face.  
  
“Fred told me you were skipping dinner,” he explained in response to her questioning look. “Figured I’d snag you some.”  
  
Dorothy smiled. “Thanks, James.” She looked down at the plate, and chuckled. “You even managed to get everything I liked.”  
  
“Well, Fred helped a bit with that. Said it was a good idea, he didn’t want you to go without a meal.” James paused, studying her face. “He also said we should talk.”  
  
“He did?” Dorothy asked, her heart pounding nervously.  
  
“Well, I did,” James admitted. “He agreed.”  
  
Dorothy nodded, beginning to gnaw on her bottom lip. “Okay. What’s up?”  
  
“I’m sorry,” James said abruptly.  
  
Dorothy blinked, shocked. “What?” she spluttered.  
  
James slid into the seat across from her, his features raw with emotion. This was obviously something very hard for him. “Merlin, you’re one of my best friends, Dorothy. Probably are, other than Freddie. And I’ve just been a right arse to you for over a _month_ now, and you’ve just taken it! I’m really sorry, Dorothy.”  
  
“Don’t be, I—”  
  
No,” James interrupted, grabbing her hand. The words froze in her throat. “I’ve been using you like some cheap slag, and it’s time that I stopped. I…I’m serious about Jen, Dorothy. Really bloody serious. And I’m never gonna be able to prove that to her if you and I are shacking up in the next available broom closet when we have a shitty day. So, I’m sorry I took advantage of you.”  
  
“You didn’t take advantage of me,” she insisted.  
  
James shook his head. “I took advantage of your friendship. Merlin, Dorothy, you’re the greatest friend someone could ask for. Of course you wouldn’t say no.”  
  
“Did you ever consider that I didn’t mind? That maybe I _liked_ doing…well, what we did?” she asked, her cheeks flooding with redness.  
  
James’s eyes raked over her face, taking everything in. “I don’t want to lose you, Dorothy. I’ve set you up to get hurt. I’m going to get back together with Jen, and we’ve got to stop. I’m sorry for dragging you along. I feel horrible about it. Can we…can we go back to _just_ being friends? Like old times?”  
  
Dorothy felt her heart shattering in her chest. “What brought this on?”  
  
James shook his head. “The other day in the classroom got me thinking. I’m supposed to be winning Jen’s heart back. I know you needed to forget, but we could’ve gone for a fly or played Exploding Snap. We didn’t need to snog.”  
  
“Did Freddie talk to you?” she demanded, standing up.  
  
“No!” James replied. “Dorothy, please. It didn’t mean anything to me. None of it. I can’t keep doing this when it means nothing. Can’t we just forget it?”  
  
Dorothy let out a sad chuckle. “Yeah, because we were so good at that the first time.”  
  
“This time is different,” he insisted.  
  
Dorothy wanted to fight for him. She wanted to make him realize that it all _had_ meant something. You don’t keep going back to someone you don’t have a drop of feelings for. He had to have felt _something—_ maybe a _fraction_ of what she felt for him every time he shot her a grin.  
  
But she didn’t. She couldn’t.  
  
She nodded her head and said, “Okay.” She let him sit across from her as she ate her dinner, she let him distract her from her essay, she let him make jokes and make her laugh. She let him beg her to quit the Quidditch team when she told him she was playing, and beg her to still give him advice. She let him throw bits of paper at her when she said no. She let him feel better. She even let him tell her about Jen.  
  
The problem was, when it came to this boy, she’d let him do just about anything.


	5. I Just Need to Focus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “He says he’d hate to think a day went by without him insulting me! There’s nothing sweet there! Nothing! They are letters that are mean and hateful!” 
> 
> “She’s got it bad."
> 
> “I can tell. Lou does too. All he would ever talk about was Fiona when I was in Gryffindor Tower.”
> 
> “Really? Not that I care.”

“You _bitch!_ How did this even happen?”  
  
Dorothy entered the Hufflepuff common room, her attention immediately pulled over to the notice board. Hope was standing with a steaming Fiona facing Tabitha Bruce, who was currently shaking a piece of parchment she assumed to be the Quidditch roster in her hand.  
  
“Did I hear you correctly?” Fiona snapped. “I think that if anyone here is a bitch, it’s you, Bruce! After all, weren’t you the one who scared everyone off of trials in the first place?”  
  
“This is my seventh year! How am I supposed to get scouted if I’m not even on my House team?” Tabitha shrieked.  
  
“Maybe you should’ve thought of that before you skipped trials, Tabitha. The list is final,” Hope said without a hint of pity.  
  
Tabitha’s pretty face turned a harsh shade of purple as she let out a muffled shriek. “I’m going to Finch-Fletchley about this. McGonagall if I have to.”  
  
She spun on her heel and stomped away, dark curls flying out haphazardly behind her. Dorothy jumped out of her path and began making her way to the round door leading to the seventh year girls’ dormitory, located a few yards before the notice board.  
  
“Longbottom!” Fiona called once Tabitha had disappeared up the passageway. “We’ve been waiting for you. Want to go up and get cracking?”  
  
Dorothy cursed herself. She’d forgotten that she, Hope, and Fiona were supposed to look over her Quidditch notes tonight. She looked from her room mates’ smiling faces to the door beside her and shook her head. “I’m…I’m not feeling very well,” she said softly. “Can we do it tomorrow?”  
  
“Well, I wasn’t going to do my homework either way,” Hope said, mulling over her Saturday plans in her mind.  
  
“Isn’t it a Hogsmeade weekend?” Fiona asked.  
  
“No, the first one’s in two weeks,” Dorothy said. Fiona pulled a face. “We can meet down by the lake after lunch,” Dorothy suggested.  
  
Hope nodded. “Okay. Go and get some rest, I hope you feel better.”  
  
Dorothy managed a weak smile. “Thanks.” She turned the handle and disappeared behind the door, climbing a few steps and entering the warm round room. Dropping her satchel in front of her bedside table, she fell face first into her pillow, letting out a choked sob. She’d lost him. Sure, things might be better this way, but she felt so… _inadequate._ Why wasn’t she good enough? What made Jen so special? How had it all meant nothing?  
  
Dorothy clutched her pillow tightly, curling up into a ball with her quilt. She just wanted to go to sleep and dream happy dreams of rainbows and butterflies and a world where James had realized back before he’d even met Jen that he loved Dorothy and they grew happy and old together forever and none of this had ever happened. She sniffed loudly, hiccupping on her embarrassing tears. She squeezed her eyes shut, not bothering to change her clothes, content to just fall asleep and pretend that this night had never actually happened.  
  
There was a soft beep by her head.  
  
She snatched the book from beneath her pillow and opened it, snatching a quill and dipping it messily into her inkpot.  
  
“Missed you at dinner,” Freddie had written on the page. “James find you?”  
  
Dorothy wiped her face with her sleeve, quickly scribbling back, “Yeah.”  
  
“And?”  
  
“We’re just friends. He ended things. Chucked me.”  
  
There was a long pause. “How’re you holding up?”  
  
“Not great,” she responded honestly. “Though I suppose it’s for the best.”  
  
“Oh?”  
  
Dorothy watched as a tear dripped onto the page. “He’s serious about Jen. I can’t stand in that way of that. Or compete with that. Maybe…I dunno. I never really had a shot. Just some fling.”  
  
Freddie didn’t respond, so she kept writing. “I shouldn’t have fooled myself. I’m Dorothy Longbottom, I’m not gonna end up with James. Especially when he’s in love with perfection’s poster child. I let my childish desires get it the way of my focus.”  
  
Dorothy waited, staring at the page, anticipating a response. After a couple of minutes, he still hadn’t said anything. “I told him we could forget it.”  
  
She stared for another minute, just waiting. “I don’t want to.”  
  
Still, there was no response. “Freddie?”  
  
The door to the dormitory banged open, and Freddie appeared in it, breathing heavily, arms laden with two tubs of ice cream and two spoons, plus his beeping journal. “Sorry,” he managed through his labored breathing. “Had to wrestle Winky in the kitchen.” He tossed the stuff down on the foot of Dorothy’s bed and offered her his hand. “Come here.”  
  
Dorothy took it and let him pull her to him, wrapping his thick, strong arms around her shoulders as she clung to his torso, burying her face in his chest as she let herself cry.  
  
***  
  
“I mean, I get what we were doing was slaggy, but I was going to take what I could get, you know?” Dorothy said. She was lying in bed on her side, facing Freddie, their legs intertwined. They’d called Winky to pick up the left over ice cream a while back, and had been laying there talking for a while. “I just got so caught up in this romanticized version of what was happening that it made reality that much harder to face.”  
  
Freddie nodded, his eyes studying her face. Dorothy’s fingers toyed with his tie, loosening it and tightening it, just stroking the soft material, playing with its placement on his shirt. “I’m so stupid.”  
  
“You’re not stupid, Dor,” he said softly. “You’re just…confused.”  
  
Dorothy chuckled, looking up at him. “Confused? I let him use me, Freddie. I invited him to toy with my emotions and play games with my head.” She groaned, and pressed her forehead into his chest. “I’m not just stupid, I’m demented. Desperate. Masochistic. Pathetic.”  
  
“Hey,” Freddie said, lifting her face to look at him. “Love makes a person do crazy, demented, desperate, masochistic, pathetic things.”  
  
Dorothy shook her head. “Maybe this is for the best. I need to focus on my studies so I can get a scholarship to the Academy. I can’t do that if I’m running after a boy who’s in love with someone else. Maybe this is what I needed.”  
  
“Just think, it’ll feel really good to block his shots on the pitch, won’t it?” Freddie teased, squeezing her hand.  
  
Dorothy smiled. “It’s the little things, isn’t it?”  
  
***  
  
A little over a week passed before Dorothy saw Jen and James walking down the corridor together. But unfortunately for Dorothy, it wasn’t one of those times where she could walk quickly past them and shove the image to the back of her mind. No. Dorothy was headed to Potions, the class she and Jen shared. So she was going to have to follow them all the way down to the dungeons.  
  
Picking up her pace to pass them, she heard, “Oh, hello, Thee!”  
  
Dorothy turned her head and forced a smile. “Hey, Jen. James. What’s up?”  
  
Jen held up their interlaced fingers. “We’re _officially_ back together.” She turned to James and smiled broadly. “I just can’t say no to this one.”  
  
James chuckled and pressed a kiss to her temple. Dorothy’s smile wavered slightly. “I’m…I’m happy you’re happy.” She let out a small breath of relief as she realized she meant it.  
  
Jen beamed. “We are happy.”  
  
“Extremely,” James agreed. Dorothy nodded, allowing her footsteps to fall in time with theirs. “What have you been up to?”  
  
“Oh, nothing much,” Dorothy said, her gaze on the ground ahead of her. “School work and Quidditch, really.”  
  
“Oh, right!” Jen said laughing as the three of them started down another flight of stairs. “I heard about Hufflepuff’s Quidditch team! Only four people came to trials because Hope Jacobs was made Captain over Tabitha Bruce, right? And then you and Freddie had to beg people to come? Honestly, I would’ve given the Captaincy to Bruce in the first place, she obviously deserved it more. I mean, she’s such a good player.  
  
“I feel bad for Jacobs, really. A team made up of reserves and nobodies?” Jen laughed, squeezing James’s arm. “What an embarrassment. I would’ve just given up by now if I were Jacobs.”  
  
“Well, it’s a good thing you’re not then, isn’t it?” Dorothy heard herself snap.  
  
“Dorothy!” James said and Jen gasped.  
  
“Sorry,” she murmured beneath her breath, face growing beet red.  
  
“It’s not like you know anything about Quidditch anyway, Longbottom,” Jen huffed.  
  
Dorothy’s gaze shot to Jen’s face in shock, her mouth moving so much faster than her brain she forgot to be nervous or shy. “Actually, I know more about Quidditch than anyone in this entire damn school, thank you very much. So much, actually, to be able to say with full confidence that the only way Ravenclaw will win a match this season is if you can catch the snitch before the other team scores against McLaggen fifteen times, which won’t be hard considering he’s too busy flirting to pay attention and his left side is weak while you’ve got a slow reaction time and are easily distracted by the game.  
  
“And before you claim that I’m full of shit, I’ll have you know that I have correctly projected the last six House Cups, as well as five out of six of the last World Cups, the only reason for being wrong was a horrible call by Roseworth which he later stated once he viewed the replay was absolutely bollocks on his part. I can fix any player and any position, I can predict potential, I can even tell you the exact history of any professional Quidditch team from their first team to their current one. I know every rule, every player, and every call ever made, when it was made, where it was made, and who it was made by.  
  
“And before you insult my Captain in front of me again, I would have you know that she is the only one Finch-Fletchley should’ve considered for the Captaincy because she’s got more heart and passion into this game than anyone I’ve ever met. You don’t know everything, and you’re not some entitled little princess of perfection, so please, just stop acting like you are.”  
  
Dorothy finished, and took a breath, her face tight with anger. She glared at Jen and James as her thoughts caught up with the words that had just flown out of her mouth, and she felt her cheeks burning with embarrassment. Tears flooded her eyes and she bit down hard on her lip. “What the hell was that?” James asked, staring at her.  
  
Dorothy took in a shaky breath and said, “I’ll see you in class,” and ran off down the hallway.  
  
It was only later, while she was brewing Doxycide in class that was to be used for an outbreak on the third floor, that she realized how good it had felt to speak her mind.  
  
***  
  
“You told off Jen Brady?” Fiona asked that night. “Like, out loud? Not just in your head?”  
  
Dorothy scowled at Fiona and threw a pillow at her laughing expression. “Yes, it was out loud,” she said. “I just…flipped! My mouth was moving faster than my brain, and before I really knew what was happening, I was telling her that she wasn’t an entitled princess and to stop acting like it.”  
  
“Holy hippogriff shit, Dorothy!” Hope cried. “Can we celebrate this? I think we should celebrate this. I want chocolate anyway, so let’s give it a reason so I can feel less overweight about snacking in bed.”  
  
“Hook me up, slag,” Fiona demanded, catching the chocolate bar Hope chucked over to her. “Oh, Merlin, yes, all the calories.”  
  
“You make eating less enjoyable for me,” Hope said, tossing Dorothy a Honeydukes Bar and then breaking off a piece of her own. “So you really stood up for me?”  
  
Dorothy nodded, unwrapping her candy. “Why wouldn’t I? We’re Hufflepuffs, aren’t we supposed to be loyal?”  
  
“That doesn’t mean we all are,” Fiona said. “A prime example sleeps in that bed over there.”  
  
Dorothy took a bite of her chocolate. “What happened there anyway? Weren’t you guys all really close at one point?”  
  
“Oh, yeah, Tab and I were best friends first through fifth,” Hope said, shoving more chocolate in her mouth.  
  
“We were three from first to fourth,” Fiona said. “I went a little crazy for fifth year. Totally changed. You noticed that, didn’t you?”  
  
“Yeah,” Dorothy agreed. “You didn’t sleep up here as much. Always down with, oh, what are they now, sixth years?”  
  
Fiona nodded. “Henrietta Langley. The Curse of Hettie. All three of us had our share. Mine was worse than Hope’s and well, Tab’s still in hers.  
  
“Fifth year, I was supposedly best friends with Hettie. Hettie and I didn’t play Quidditch, but Hope and Tab did. I felt like it was tearing us apart. I got sucked into Hettie. Completely changed me.  
  
“Then, once I finally realized Hettie wasn’t even my friend and was spreading my secrets behind my back, I came back to Hope and Tab, expecting to be welcomed with open arms. But I wasn’t.”  
  
“She’d been a bitch,” Hope explained.  
  
“Yeah, we know,” Fiona said, an edge on her voice. “But I got better. Started apologizing for what I’d done. Meant it, too. Started cutting ties with Hettie. That was hard, especially since she’s so charismatic and shit. But I found myself again. And Hope believed me.”  
  
“Tabitha never did, though,” Hope said. “She wanted it to just be the two of us, Hope and Tabitha. Forget about Fi, she’s just going to hurt us again. She couldn’t let Fi back in, and that’s what drove her to Hettie.”  
  
“First half of last term, Tab and I fought. When Hope and I went home for Christmas and she stayed, she got picked up by Hettie.”  
  
“When we came back, it was too late. She was gone,” Hope said.  
  
“You make Hettie sound like a disease,” Dorothy said.  
  
“She almost is,” Hope said sadly. “She’s manipulative. She changes you.”  
  
“She’s pure evil,” Fiona said. “Should’ve been a Slytherin.”  
  
“But it’s not just Hettie,” Dorothy said. “You’ve got to let her change you. It’s not like she Imperiused you or Bruce. You had to agree with it.”  
  
“Have you ever been friends with Hettie?” Fiona asked.  
  
“No,” Dorothy said. “Too much time in Gryffindor.”  
  
Fiona nodded. “Hettie is like a drug. You live on her support and praise, even when she’s terrible to you. It’s hard to get out of. That’s why we didn’t hate Tab at first. We had the hope she’d come back.”  
  
“But?” Dorothy pushed.  
  
“But then she started dating Louis,” Hope said.  
  
“That’s not what makes me hate her!” Fiona insisted.  
  
“Fiona’s madly in love with Louis Weasley—”  
  
“I AM NOT, I HATE THAT WANKER!”  
  
Dorothy laughed as Hope flicked her wand, silently silencing Fiona’s outburst. “She thinks she hates him. But she really wants to have his Veela babies. When Tab started dating Louis, Fi and Louis’s relationship got worse than ever, because Fi went bat shit crazy anytime she saw him.  
  
“When Louis was hospitalized after he got hit in the head with a Bludger in the Gryffindor-Ravenclaw match, he murmured Fi’s name. Not Tab’s. She never forgave either of them for that.”  
  
“So, why’d you start hating her?” Dorothy asked Hope.  
  
“I don’t hate her,” Hope answered. “I’ll always love her. But I hate who she’s become.” Hope lifted the silencing charm.  
  
“Tabitha hexed Hope and she was in the Hospital Wing for two days. Unprovoked. That’s why we hate her. Not because of Louis bloody Weasley,” Fiona grumbled.  
  
“So, you’re saying you have no feelings whatsoever for Louis?” Hope asked.  
  
“Other than hate, none.”  
  
“Then who do you write letters to everyday?”  
  
Fiona’s face flooded with color. “He says he’d hate to think a day went by without him insulting me! There’s nothing sweet there! _Nothing!_ They are letters that are mean and hateful!”  
  
Dorothy laughed with Hope. “She’s got it bad,” Hope said, grinning.  
  
“I can tell,” Dorothy agreed. “Lou does too. All he would ever talk about was Fiona when I was in Gryffindor Tower.”  
  
“Really?” Fiona asked, perking up. “Not that I care.”  
  
***  
  
The next morning at breakfast, Jen approached Dorothy. “Thee? Can I, uh, talk to you?”  
  
Dorothy set down her toast and nodded, scooting over. She was nervous. Jen sat down on the bench next to her. “Look, I just wanted to apologize. I had no idea that you were such a Quidditch expert, or that what I was saying about Hufflepuff was offensive to you. I didn’t even realize you played. I hope you can forgive me, I feel awful.”  
  
 Dorothy was a horrible person. This just proved it. She was just a terrible human being, taking pleasure at making this girl feel so awful. “It’s okay,” Dorothy said quickly. “I was mean as well. I shouldn’t have exploded like that. Honestly, I’ve never done that before, I don’t really know where it came from.”  
  
Jen smiled, its brilliance slightly shocking. “It’s perfectly alright, I deserved it. I’m so glad that you can forgive me, I’m sure Hufflepuff will bring a lot to the table.”  
  
Dorothy smiled. “I sure hope so, Jen. Hope really deserves a fantastic team.”  
  
“I’m sure she does.” Jen stood, straightening her already perfectly crisp uniform. “I’ll let you finish your breakfast. I’m sure James is looking for me anyway, he invited me to go for a walk before class. See you around, Thee!”  
  
Dorothy swallowed the large lump in her throat at the mention of James. Not only had she screamed in this girl’s face, but she had hooked up with her boyfriend on multiple occasions.  
  
Maybe Dorothy was the one who belonged in Slytherin.  
  
“See you,” Dorothy muttered. She was so absorbed in self-hate that she didn’t even hear Jen mutter, “Crazy bint,” beneath her breath as she left the Hufflepuff table.


	6. I Just Need a Girl's Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Please. You act like we’ve never played this ‘throw-yourself-into-something-to-distract-yourself’ game. Cute.”

“What’re you doing?”  
  
Fiona’s heavy voice cut through the silence in the library like a knife. Dorothy looked up, surprised. Fiona’s hands were placed firmly on her hips, her dark brown hair up in a high ponytail, as she stared at Dorothy expectantly. “ _Well?_ ” she demanded.  
  
“Homework?” Dorothy supplied, motioning to the mounds of parchment and stacks of textbooks spread out across the table.  
  
“I know that, Longbottom,” Fiona snapped. “That’s what Freddie and James said. But what they don’t realize is that you’ve been doing homework with every last second of your free time. Tonight’s supposed to be Girls Night in the dormitory, remember? Hope’ll be pissed if you blow us of to do, oh, I don’t know,” Fiona leaned over the table and read aloud: “The Practical Applications of Mammal to Mammal Transfiguration For My Desired Professional Field.” Fiona looked up, an aghast look on her face. “Seriously? Zabini hasn’t even assigned this yet.”  
  
Dorothy’s face tinged pink. “I just like to be prepared.”  
  
“Need I remind you how often Hope and I have copied _Freddie’s_ homework rather than yours?”  
  
“Maybe I want to be more responsible,” Dorothy said quickly, burying her face back in a textbook.  
  
“Or maybe you’re hiding something,” Fiona shot back, ripping the textbook out of Dorothy’s hands and chucking it over her shoulder. Dorothy’s eyes were wide in surprise as the book landed with a loud thud. “What? Hope’s not the only one who can read people. And I have a feeling that a Girls Night is _exactly_ what you need.”  
  
“Fi, I appreciate the concern, but I really need to finish my essay.”  
  
Fiona shook her head. “Nope. That excuse will become acceptable again in three months when the class has caught up with your homework escapades.” Fiona pulled out the chair on the other side of the table and put her feet up on it, grinning. “Now pack your stuff up. Hope’s out of detention in ten minutes, and we need to be there waiting with food.”  
  
“Go on without me,” Dorothy said. “I’ll meet you there.”  
  
“No, you won’t,” Fiona said, rolling her eyes. “Please. You act like we’ve never played this ‘throw-yourself-into-something-to-distract-yourself’ game. Cute.”  
  
“What?” Dorothy asked, her heart racing.  
  
“Come off it, Hope and I may not be Ravenclaws, but we aren’t stupid. We know that you’re upset that James and Jen got back together because you’ve been inexplicably in love with him since we met you and you’re throwing yourself into your schoolwork under the cover of focusing on ‘scholarships’ and ‘your marks’ and other ‘important’ things like that, but you’re just trying to distract yourself from thinking about James because it breaks your heart all over again.”  
  
Fiona laughed at Dorothy’s stupid expression. Dorothy let out a small squeak. “We’re _girls,_ Longbottom. We’ve all been there. Except Hope chose Quidditch and I chose pranking.” Fiona smirked at some memory playing in her head. Dorothy tilted her head slightly, curious. Fiona snapped back into reality and clapped twice. “Chop, chop! We only have five more minutes, and we still haven’t left the library!”  
  
“How…how do you know all that?” Dorothy spluttered out once she remembered how to form comprehensible words.  
  
Fiona chuckled. “We pay attention. Now, come on, Longbottom, you are the slowest thing I have ever encountered. And Hope Jacobs is my best friend. That’s saying something.”  
  
“What?” Dorothy asked, organizing her papers and books in her satchel while flicking her wand lazily to replace the books she’d been borrowing on the shelves.  
  
Fiona cocked an eyebrow. “Really? Merlin, you miss a lot cooped up in Gryffindor Tower. Hope takes forever and a year. For everything. Some perpetually late thing she’s got going on.”  
  
Dorothy stopped and looked at Fiona. “ _What?_ ”  
  
Fiona frowned. “Give it time, you’ll understand soon enough,” she said with a sigh. “Keep packing, you’ve still got all these books to reshelve.”  
  
***  
  
“Is this all really necessary?” Dorothy asked as she watched Fiona ordering House Elves around the kitchen.  
  
Fiona shot Dorothy a look over her shoulder. “The best thing about being in Hufflepuff is that our common room is right across the corridor from the kitchens. That means we get the advantage of being able to transport at least twice as much food as any other House with ease. It’d be a waste not to take advantage of it.” Dorothy raised an eyebrow. “And I’m fat, okay? Sod off, Longbottom,” she snapped.  
  
Dorothy sniggered. “Well, at least get the leftover chocolate chip cookies from dinner last night.”  
  
“There are _leftovers_?” Fiona asked excitedly.  
  
“Uh, of course there are,” Dorothy said nervously. “They don’t just waste everything.”  
  
“Merlin, _yes_ ,” Fiona said, running over to where the elves were furiously making trays and trays of food.  
  
Dorothy smiled and leaned against one of the refrigerators, crossing her arms over her chest. She felt her thoughts drifting from the impending girls night to the times she and Freddie had pulled late nights scrounging food here and he’d had to hide out in Hufflepuff to… _James_. He was suddenly prominent in her mind: smiling, laughing, flying, pranking…her heart sank in her chest as she thought of him with Jen, the way he’d stomped on her heart, the way she was still pathetically in love with him.  
  
“Hey!” Dorothy jumped, glancing up to see Fiona glaring at her. “Stop thinking about James.”  
  
“I wasn’t!” Dorothy said quickly. Fiona cocked an eyebrow accusingly. “I _wasn’t_!”  
  
“Sure you weren’t,” Fiona said, shoving a cookie in her mouth. “Merlin, cookies are perfect.”  
  
“So,” Dorothy said, desperately searching for a new subject of conversation. “What’s Hope in detention for?”  
  
Fiona laughed, small crumbs of cookie flying out of her mouth. “Zabini’s being a bitch about the fact that Hope’s been late to his class for the past six lessons and is two weeks behind on homework. Not to mention the fact that she spends class time drafting new plays.”  
  
“Wait,” Dorothy said slowly, trying to understand Fiona’s rapid speech. “How does that make Zabini the bad guy? She should be paying attention.”  
  
“If it were any other teacher, it wouldn’t,” Fiona said as she instructed a House Elf on which fruits to put into a basket. “But come on, Longbottom, it’s _Zabini_. His cup of fucks is _empty_. Honestly, he just gave her detention because he’s worried about Slytherin’s chances ever since he spied on our practice last week.”  
  
“I’m sure there’s more to it than that,” Dorothy said. She walked over to the growing pile of food by Fiona and swiped an apple, taking a large, satisifying bite.  
  
“Nope,” Fiona said. “Zabini’s too chill to care about things like tardiness and late homework. But he’s crazy about Quidditch. All he wants is to get the Cup back from Gryffindor. I think he’d off himself if he lost it to Hufflepuff.”  
  
Dorothy shook her head. “The teachers don’t give detention because of Quidditch.”  
  
Fiona let out a harsh laugh. “Oh, Longbottom, you’re cute. Are you trying to tell me that your old man gave the entire Slytherin team detention the week before the final for not taking notes during his lectures?”  
  
Dorothy ripped her gaze from Fiona and took another chomp out of her apple. “Coincidence.”  
  
Fiona chuckled. “Sure.” She turned to the house elf waiting patiently behind her and said, “Take the lot to the seventh year girls’ dormitory in Hufflepuff, please, Winky.”  
  
“Yes, Miss Fi,” the elf squeaked.  
  
Fiona linked her arm around Dorothy’s and pulled her towards the kitchen door. “Let’s go, Longbottom. It’s time to party.”  
  
***  
  
“I swear to Merlin, that man wants me to transfer to Slytherin,” Hope said as she nibbled on the brownie in her hand. “Thinks I’d be a perfect fit.”  
  
“You _are_ a manipulative bitch sometimes,” Fiona said nonchalantly. She lifted another grape to her lips and sucked it into her mouth with a loud pop. “You’d probably fit in.”  
  
“You’re horrible,” Dorothy said laughing, breaking her chocolate chip cookie in half and taking a bite.  
  
“Thank you,” Hope said, glaring at Fiona. “At least Dorothy loves me. And stop being so healthy, I feel insecure looking at you.”  
  
“Don’t,” Fiona said, popping another grape. “Before you got here, there were three plates of cookies.”  
  
“You ate an entire tray of cookies?”  
  
“Don’t judge me. This is why you belong in Slytherin.”  
  
“I knew there had been more than two trays!” Dorothy said.  
  
Fiona winked. “Thought you were going crazy?”  
  
“More like Winky had ripped us off.”  
  
“Blaming a House Elf…jeez, Longbottom. Maybe you belong in Slytherin, too.”  
  
Dorothy gasped. “Take it back!”  
  
Fiona threw a grape at Dorothy’s face. “Nope.”  
  
“She’s just touchy because she didn’t get a letter from Louis today,” Hope teased.  
  
Fiona’s teasing grin fell into a frown. “I am not.”  
  
Hope sent Dorothy a smirk. “Oh, sure.”  
  
“I don’t care if the jerk writes me.”  
  
“So if I told you his owl was at the window, you wouldn’t care at all, would you?”  
  
Fiona’s face jerked towards the window where a tawny owl sat patiently with a thick letter in its beak. “How long has that been there?” she demanded, hurrying to the window and ripping it open.  
  
“All of two seconds,” Hope said, rolling her eyes. “Don’t care if he writes you?”  
  
Fiona growled. “It’s getting cold. Animal cruelty.”  
  
“Course,” Dorothy said. She and Hope joined Fiona by the bird that had just fluttered onto Fiona’s dresser.  
  
“Hand it over, Hibou,” Fiona said, holding out her hand. The owl waddled over to her and dropped the letter, letting out a fond hoot. She smiled, giving him a loving pat on the head. “Such a good birdy.”  
  
“Gotta love how creative Louis is when it comes to naming things,” Dorothy said with a grin. “Naming an owl ‘owl.’”  
  
“Give Hibou a treat, would you?” Fiona said as she sat down on her bed to open the letter. “They’re in a leather bag in the top drawer of the dresser.”  
  
“You give his owl treats?” Dorothy asked as Hope tossed the bird a treat.  
  
“The moron has a sweet bird,” Fiona said.  
  
“What’s the letter say?” Hope asked, jumping on Fiona’s bed beside her best friend. “Is Louis finally professing his love for you?”  
  
“You’re disgusting,” Fiona snapped as she read the letter quickly. “He’s already called me annoying and mental and I’ve only made it through the third sentence.”  
  
“He wants to buy you a drink,” Dorothy said from over her shoulder.  
  
“What?” Fiona said.  
  
“Check the third paragraph,” Dorothy instructed. “I’m a skimmer.”  
  
“Third paragraph… ‘I heard this weekend you’ll be in Hogsmeade, so will I, and I wanted to know if you would meet me at Broomsticks for a drink. Not the same insulting you without seeing the immediate reaction on your face.’” Fiona scoffed. “Oh, yes, that’s _so_ romantic.”  
  
“Are you going to go?” Dorothy asked.  
  
“Of course she is,” Hope said.  
  
Fiona sniggered. “No, I’m not.”  
  
“You really going to let him think that he’s the bigger man? That you can’t bear to see him?” Hope pushed.  
  
Fiona looked from Hope to the letter in her hand and cursed beneath her breath. “Damn him.”  
  
“He’s good,” Dorothy commented.  
  
“Got any parchment on hand?” Fiona asked. “Gotta send Hibou back before it gets too late.”  
  
Dorothy opened up her school bag and pulled out a fresh sheet as Hope snatched the letter from Fiona’s hand. “His insults are getting old, they used to be much better.”  
  
“I know. I tell him that in almost every response. It’s almost insulting how little thought he puts into them these days.”  
  
Dorothy handed Fiona a sheet of parchment and a quill, watching as Fiona quickly scrawled a response to Louis. She rolled the parchment and tied it with a hair ribbon, placed it in Hibou’s mouth, and sent him out the window. “I hate him,” she muttered, closing the window softly.  
  
“He puts a lot of time into these letters,” Hope said, looking up from the parchment in her hands. “It’s cute.”  
  
“Shut up,” Fiona snapped. “Longbottom, toss me a cookie.”  
  
“Done with grapes?” Dorothy joked, flinging her the cookie.  
  
“You got it,” Fiona said as she took a large bite of it. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I can’t believe I have to waste my first Hogsmeade weekend with Weasley.”  
  
“You’ll have fun,” Dorothy said with a smile.  
  
“About as much fun as I’d have with an enraged hippogriff.”  
  
The door to the dormitory opened. Dorothy, Hope, and Fiona all turned to see Tabitha standing in the doorway, obviously taken off guard by the party going on inside her bedroom. “Oh,” she said softly. “Don’t want to interrupt.”  
  
“You’re not interrupting,” Hope said quickly. “You’re welcome to join us.”  
  
“Erm, no thanks,” Tabitha said softly. “I don’t want to be where I’m not wanted.”  
  
“At least grab a snack,” Hope pushed. “There’s plenty.”  
  
“No one else is going to finish those chocolate covered strawberries,” Fiona said slowly.  
  
Tabitha nodded. “Erm…okay.” She took a few hesitant steps towards the piles of food and took a plate of strawberries. She looked up and saw Dorothy sitting on Fiona’s four poster. “Funny seeing you here, Thee.”  
  
“I live here, too,” Dorothy said.  
  
Tabitha nodded. “I know. Could’ve fooled me over the years, though.”  
  
“Tab—” Hope began.  
  
“Thanks for the strawberries,” Tabitha said. “I’ll just be going.”  
  
The door to the dormitory slammed shut behind her, but not before all three girls heard the shaky sob Tabitha had been trying so hard to hold inside explode out of her.


	7. I Just Love Hogsmeade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I hate you, Weasley! You are the most vile being on the face of the planet!”
> 
> “Come back here, Little, I am not finished with you! You want vile? I’ll give you vile!”

“Hey, Dad,” Dorothy said as she entered the greenhouse, Freddie tailing close behind her.  
  
“Thee,” he said grinning, looking up from the bush he’d been trimming. “Freddie. What can I do for the two of you?”  
  
“Well, we’re about to head into the village, I was just wondering if you needed me to pick anything up for you,” Dorothy said.  
  
Neville set his wand down on a greenhouse table and thought for a moment, wiping his hand across his sweaty forehead and leaving behind a trail of dirt. “Planning to pop into Honeydukes?”  
  
“Course, Professor,” Freddie said with a grin. “You know how Dor needs her Sugar Quills.”  
  
“Oh, like you don’t go around raging like the Whomping Willow when your chocolate stash runs low,” Dorothy shot back.  
  
Neville smiled fondly at the bickering teens. “Brilliant. Grab me a few Cauldron Cakes and a Licorice Wand, okay? There’s some Sickles in my desk in the office, top right drawer.”  
  
Dorothy nodded. “You got it.” She went over to him and pressed a kiss onto his cheek. “See you later, Dad. By the way, you’ve got mulch all across your forehead.”  
  
“Ah, I’ll get it later,” he said with a soft chuckle. “See you, dear. Bye, Freddie.”  
  
“See ya, Professor!”  Freddie called as Dorothy dragged him from the greenhouse.  
  
“So what’s the plan for today, huh?” Dorothy asked as they entered her father’s office. She made her way through precarious towers of Herbology textbooks intermingled with stacks of dirt-stained papers to his desk. It was covered with photographs in frames, books, spare bits of quills and parchment. She grabbed a couple Sickles from the drawer. “Honeydukes, Spintwitches for your new bat, I want some more emerald ink, and I promised Hope we’d join her in spying on Louis and Fi.”  
  
“I still can’t believe the bloke’s finally grown a pair and asked the girl on a proper date,” Freddie said as the two of them left Neville’s office and headed off for the trail to the village. “How long’s he fancied her now, four years?”  
  
“Had to have been. She’s got it bad for him, too; I knew having him send the letter late would drive her mad.”  
  
“Honestly, you’d think he would’ve asked for our help sooner than this,” Freddie joked. “And other than that, I don’t have anything special. We can grab lunch at Broomsticks if you want.”  
  
“Can’t, that’s where Lou and Fi will be. I don’t have a problem with the Hog’s Head.”  
  
Freddie shook his head. “No, ever since I heard goats when we hid out behind it last year, I can’t go near the place.”  
  
“Right,” Dorothy recalled laughing. “Well, I guess we could grab a late lunch. Get most of our shopping in before we go to spy, then get something after the two of them leave.”  
  
“Sounds alright,” Freddie agreed. “Oh, don’t let me forget, I’ve got to pick up a gift for Rox, her birthday’s next week.”  
  
“Bugger, I forgot all about that,” Dorothy muttered. “She’s turning sixteen, right?”  
  
“Don’t remind me,” Freddie groaned. “Older end of the fifth years, getting way too much male attention for my taste.”  
  
Dorothy laughed. “You’re so overprotective.”  
  
“With good reason!” Freddie said defensively. “That’s my baby sister those blokes look at like she’s a piece of meat, thank you very much.”  
  
“Whatever, Fred,” Dorothy said rolling her eyes. “What I was going to say was that she needs a party. Sixteen’s a big one for girls.”  
  
“Lily and Rose have been planning it for weeks,” Freddie told her. “Halloween themed. Only reason I remembered, to be honest. They asked me whether it’d be smarter to have it in the Room of Requirement or the Common Room. I said the tower, of course, because there’s no way Neville will bust us because Rox is like his niece. He knows she should have a good party. And, there’s less of a chance any Slytherins will break in.”  
  
Dorothy nodded. “When is it?”  
  
“Next Saturday, after the Halloween feast. You’re welcome to bring Hope and Fiona if they want to come.”  
  
Dorothy smiled. “I’ll ask them.”  
  
“You know,” Freddie said thoughtfully. “It’s a little weird to think you’ve got friends in Hufflepuff.”  
  
Dorothy laughed. “It only took seven years to play nice with my own House.”  
  
Freddie smiled down at her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders protectively. “There’s the village. The line for Honeydukes doesn’t look too bad yet, we should probably hit there first.”  
  
Dorothy grinned up at him. “Race ya!”  
  
***  
  
“You’re late!” Hope said as Dorothy and Freddie hurried over to the bushes outside of The Three Broomsticks.  
  
“They’re not supposed to meet for five more minutes,” Freddie said.  
  
Hope frowned. “We were _supposed_ to get a table inside, but now Louis is in there. It’d be too suspicious.”  
  
“Hope, we’re hiding in a bush beneath the window,” Dorothy reminded her.  
  
“Here comes Fi!” Hope whispered. “Let’s hope these things still work.” She unraveled a pair of ratty Extendable Ears and placed the receiving end in the window, holding the other end between the three of them.  
  
“Course they do, Lifelong Warranty,” Freddie scoffed.  
  
“Stop advertising and listen,” Hope snapped. Dorothy snickered.  
  
“Little!” a deep voice rattled through the Ears. There was the scraping of Louis’s chair legs against the wooden floor.  
  
“Weasley,” Fiona responded coolly. “You could use a haircut.”  
  
“He’s trying to grow it out like Uncle Bill,” Freddie explained. Dorothy pulled a face. “I know,” Freddie agreed.  
  
“I don’t think it’s too bad,” Louis said, a bit disgruntled.  
  
“You look like a bearded lady,” Fiona replied. “I see you let the facial hair grow out more too.”  
  
“Some people say it’s rugged.”  
  
“They’d be lying.”  
  
Louis laughed. “Ah, to think I thought that I missed your never ending wit.”  
  
“Isn’t that why you’ve been writing me every day? So not a day goes by without you insulting me?”  
  
“Maybe I just missed you, Little.”  
  
“Don’t get sentimental on me, Weasley.”  
  
Louis sighed. “Let’s sit down. Let me buy you lunch.”  
  
“What are you going to do to it, add some Puking Pastilles to my burger?”  
  
“Don’t give me any ideas, Little.”  
  
“You’d think that being part Veela would help him with the ladies,” Hope said rolling her eyes. “He’s pitiful.”  
  
“So, how’s seventh year going so far? Hufflepuff look good on the pitch?”  
  
“Fine,” Fiona said warily. “And how’s curse breaking? Having fun beneath your old man?”  
  
“It’s interesting,” Louis said. “I enjoy it. It’s constantly stimulating.”  
  
“They are so boring,” Freddie groaned. “I still need to get my Beater’s bat.”  
  
“Well, maybe if someone hadn’t spent an eternity looking for No-Melt Ice Cream, we would’ve had time to go to Spintwitches before Lou and Fi’s date,” Dorothy shot back.  
  
“Hey, it took you an hour and a half to decide what you were getting Rox for her birthday.”  
  
“Sorry I didn’t think that a prank from her father’s shop was enough for her sixteenth birthday.”  
  
“That’s not for her,” Freddie said. “That’s for me. I got her jewelry while you looked for the ‘perfect present.’ I’m not _that_ stupid.”  
  
“Merlin, would you two hush up? You bicker like an old married couple,” Hope hissed. “We’re attempting to spy!”  
  
There was a loud bang, and the part of the Extendable Ear in Hope’s hand disintegrated. “Bloody hell!” she cried, dropping the dust. She turned on Freddie. “What happened to a Lifelong Warranty?”  
  
“Louis must’ve seen it and cut the line. Your pair had to’ve been too old, didn’t have the protective spells on it that the newer versions have.”  
  
Hope groaned, aiming a kick at the bush. “Seriously? So now we’ve been caught, and we have no way to listen in anymore! Not to mention I missed half of their conversation because the two of you wouldn’t shut the hell up!”  
  
“Freddie is horrible to spy with,” Dorothy said.  
  
“You’re not much better, Dora,” Hope said, frowning. “Fi’s going to be explosive tonight.”  
  
The doors to the bar banged open, and Fiona ran out screaming, “I _hate_ you, Weasley! You are the most vile being on the face of the planet!”  
  
Behind her, Louis Weasley appeared looking fairly roughed up. His long blonde hair was tousled and his clothes were off center, as if Fiona had jumped him in her rage. Even though Dorothy saw Louis as an older brother figure, his Veela genes pulled at her, causing her to notice the stubble lining his strong jaw and the thick, defined muscles pushing against his long sleeved shirt. “Come back here, Little, I am _not_ finished with you! You want vile? I’ll give you vile!”  
  
Fiona shot a hex at him, which he dodged easily, and tore up the street. Louis let out a strangled roar and followed her.  
  
“Looks as though they’re headed to the Shrieking Shack,” Freddie observed.  
  
“Fitting, if you think about it,” Hope said. “Considering how much shrieking Fiona will probably be doing.”  
  
“Should we follow them?” Dorothy asked.  
  
“And get caught in the crossfire?” Hope asked. “Merlin, no. Made that mistake once. We’ll get the story later in the common room. See you later?”  
  
“Course,” Dorothy replied. “Oh, by the way, Rox’s sixteenth birthday party is in Gryffindor Tower after dinner next Saturday, you want to come? Fi’s invited too, of course.”  
  
“It’s not like I’ll be doing homework or anything,” Hope said. “Sounds fun. Always been curious about Gryffindor parties.”  
  
“Awesome,” Dorothy said. “We’re going to grab lunch, care to join us?”  
  
“Nah, I’m supposed to meet Marcus later. Taking me to Pudifoot’s, but hey, free food, right?”  
  
***  
  
“Frederick Weasley, I’m paying for my meal, and that is final!” Dorothy shouted. “Take my money!”  
  
“No!” he shot back. “You’re making a scene, Dor. Just let me be nice.”  
  
“That’s what you always say! You can’t keep buying things for me.”  
  
“I can, and I will.” He shot her a smirk and handed the coins to Madame Rosemerta. “Keep the change.”  
  
Freddie grabbed Dorothy’s hand and dragged her out of the pub, grinning at her. “I’m buying you more ice cream then,” Dorothy huffed, dragging him back down to Honeydukes.  
  
“If you insist,” Freddie said. “You’re mental sometimes, Dor.”  
  
“Well, you suck dragon eggs sometimes, Fred.”  
  
He laughed. “It’s part of my charm.”  
  
Dorothy scoffed. “Yeah, okay. Let’s play this game. Just pick your ice cream.”  
  
***  
  
Fiona didn’t return to the dormitory until after dinner.  
  
The door banged open loudly, causing both Hope and Dorothy’s heads to shoot up from the Quidditch play they were trying to formulate. “Where have you been?” Hope demanded. “Everyone was supposed to be back from Hogsmeade hours ago!”  
  
“How _dare_ you spy on me!” Fiona shot back at them. “You knew that I would’ve told you exactly what happened, you didn’t need to shove your creepy old Extendable Ear through the window of the pub!”  
  
“Well, thanks to you, I have to buy a new pair,” Hope huffed.  
  
“Thank Merlin!” Fiona snapped. “They looked like you cut them off of Dumbledore’s corpse.”  
  
“Where have you been?” Hope asked again. “You missed dinner.”  
  
“I grabbed something in the village,” Fiona said smoothly, laying down on her fourposter.  
  
“But what were you doing all that time? Seriously, it’s been hours since you and Louis ran off screaming at each other,” Dorothy pushed, just as curious as Hope was.  
  
“Fought with Louis,” Fiona replied. “I hid in the cellar of Honeydukes after a while, you know, he wasn’t too fun to be around once he had purple blisters oozing out of his skin.”  
  
Hope cackled. “You are such a harlot!”  
  
Fiona sat up in bed and raised an eyebrow. “Excuse you?”  
  
“It’s obvious the boy likes you, why else would he hang around?” she said. “Seriously, you ought to make yourself a bit more likeable so he doesn’t gain some sense and fall for someone who doesn’t put him through physical and emotional turmoil.”  
  
“He doesn’t like me,” Fiona said.  
  
“Yes, he does,” Dorothy said. “I’m going to be honest with you. Freddie and I have been helping him.” Hope squeaked, shaking her head at Dorothy. “No, Hope, she deserves to know.”  
  
“That you’ve been giving him advice on how to make me like him? Think about him all the time?” Fiona supplied. “Yeah, I know. It came up right as he was shouting about how much he didn’t fancy me, and could never fancy a girl like me. Said he should check himself into St. Mungo’s at the thought.”  
  
Hope’s smiling face fell into concern. “Oh, Fi, are you okay?”  
  
Fiona laughed. “Am I okay? Of course I’m okay! I don’t like him!”  
  
There was a loud beep from Dorothy’s nightstand, and she lunged over to it, pulling the journal from the drawer. “What the hell is that?” Hope asked.  
  
“It’s how Freddie and I communicate between Houses,” Dorothy replied, opening it on her bed. “Just got a note from Hibou. Says Louis has cured himself. No longer thinks he has feelings for Fiona.” Was scrawled on the page.  
  
Dorothy picked up a quill and responded, “Just heard the same story from Fi. As long as they’re happy, right?”  
  
“That’s brilliant,” Fiona said, looking over Dorothy’s shoulder. “Magical connection.”  
  
“Yeah,” Dorothy said, watching as Freddie’s words began appearing on the page. “We’ve had them since first year. Obviously, we’ve expanded them, and we added the alarm feature in case one of us is sleeping or not paying attention.”  
  
“You really believe them?” Freddie asked.  
  
“Don’t see why not,” Dorothy replied.  
  
“Innocent,” he teased.  
  
“That is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen,” Hope gushed. “You two are perfect.”  
  
Dorothy laughed. “We’ve been best friends for our entire lives. We had to make this Housing arrangement work somehow.”  
  
“See, Hope?” Fiona said, her voice tinged with annoyance. “These two are perfect. Weasley and I are far from it. We can’t even handle being in the same room together.”  
  
“Can’t blame a girl for being a hopeless romantic,” Hope sighed.  
  
Dorothy laughed and placed the journal back into her bedside table. “I’m going to hop in the shower. It’s been a long day. Oh, and before you try to read me and Freddie’s journal, you should know that you won’t be able to. Only we can see what’s actually written there.”  
  
“I dislike that,” Hope whined.  
  
“I don’t care,” Dorothy responded perkily.  
  
“She was much nicer when she was scared to talk to us,” Fiona commented as Dorothy shut the bathroom door.  
  
***  
  
As Dorothy got out of the shower, she could hear bits and pieces of Hope and Fiona’s conversation. What she didn’t expect was to hear her name dropped.  
  
“Why can’t she be more like Dorothy?” Fiona gasped. “He really said that?”  
  
“That’s what Marcus and I heard!” Hope replied. “She was furious, mind you. Would’ve been shocked if she hadn’t been, considering she’s supposed to be Hogwarts’ Perfect Bird, and all.”  
  
“But what’s he doing saying shit like that?” Fiona snapped. “It’s not like he’s ever treated her as more than a mate, right?”  
  
“As far as I know,” Hope said. “But I don’t want to tell her. Seems like she’s finally starting to get over him. She and Freddie would be so much better than her and James. Honestly, I don’t really know what she ever saw in him.”  
  
Fiona was silent for a moment. Dorothy’s breath was caught in her throat. “I can’t even picture it. James just outright saying, ‘Merlin, Jen, you annoying twat, I wish you were more like Dorothy!’ Doesn’t seem right.”  
  
“Well, he said it a bit more tactfully than that,” Hope said.  
  
“But still, the intent was the same,” Fiona said. “I’m a bit worried about how Jen will react to Dorothy after this.”  
  
“It still doesn’t make sense,” Hope thought out loud. “He spends all this time trying to get Jen back, and then wants her to be like Dora? He has to know that she liked him. Why not toss the plastic and give Dora a shot if he’s so interested?”  
  
Dorothy opened the bathroom door. “There’s something I haven’t told you.”  
  
Hope and Fiona jumped violently, shock and fear etched on their faces. “Dora, honey, we didn’t mean for you to overhear—”  
  
“Seriously, Longbottom, it’s not like we don’t think you’re good enough for James, he’s not good enough for you, and you were finally feeling better—”  
  
“We just don’t want to see you hurt—”  
  
“Guys!” Dorothy shouted, her hands playing with the sash on her robe. “It’s okay. I understand. But to help you understand, there’s something you need to know.”  
  
“What?” Hope asked.  
  
Dorothy took a deep breath. “James and I hooked up.”


	8. I Just Need to Explain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're not the average girl.

_“I should’ve jut told her, Merlin, I’m so fucking_ stupid! _” James sobbed. “She was the perfect girl, Dorothy, I was going to marry her, and now she’s gone!”_  
  
  
 _Dorothy held his head to her chest and stroked his hair, her lunch with Freddie forgotten. “Shh, it’s okay,” she mumbled._  
  
 _“No, it’s not,” he said, pushing out of her grasp. “I drunkenly snogged another bird! I should’ve been honest with her, but I lied! I cheated! Damnit, Dorothy, I love her!”_  
  
 _“I know you do,” she said calmly, trying to ignore the pain in her chest. “Give her time. Maybe once she cools down, you guys can talk this out.”_  
  
 _“No, it’s over,” James said, putting his head in his hands. “I’m so fucking stupid.”_  
  
 _“James,” Dorothy said firmly, pulling his face towards her to look her in the eyes. “If she’s got any brains at all, it’s not over. This is_ you _were talking about. James Potter. It’s not like losing you is something simple, like accidentally tossing your favorite jumper. You’re a lot to lose. She doesn’t realize it yet, but she may not want to.”_  
  
 _James blinked slowly, searching her face for answers. “You really think that it might not be over between me and Jen?”_  
  
 _Dorothy forced a smile. “I really do.”_  
  
 _“You know, I never really noticed it before, but you’re really pretty, Dorothy.”_  
  
 _Dorothy’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry?”_  
  
 _James jumped out of her grasp as he realized what he said. “Bollocks, I’m sorry. That sounded awful.”_  
  
 _“No,” Dorothy said quickly. “No, it’s okay. Um, thank you. I appreciate it.”_  
  
 _James gave her a small smile and leaned towards her pressing a soft kiss on her cheek. “Thanks for being there for me, Dorothy. You’re really a great friend.”_  
  
 _Her face exploded in a hot blush as she nodded, biting down hard on her bottom lip. “Anytime, James.”_  
  
 _He stood and rubbed his face with his large hands, turned to face her and gave her a dazzling smile. “How do I look?”_  
  
 _Dorothy smiled back at him. “Wonderful.”_  
  
 _***_  
  
 _Dorothy rolled over in her cot as Roxanne let out another loud snore. The one thing she absolutely hated about staying at the Burrow with the Weasleys was when Rox made it to bed before her. She could stay asleep while Rox brought the house down, but Merlin forbid she try to fall asleep through the rumbling. Roxanne let out another harsh snort and Dorothy looked over at the peacefully sleeping girl, wondering how the sounds she was making weren’t painful to create._  
  
 _There was a soft knock at the door. Dorothy grinned. She hopped out of bed, tossing her thickly plaited hair over her shoulder as she tip toed across the room. “Freddie, I’m going to suffocate your sister,” she joked as she pulled the door open with a loud creak, easily drowned out as Roxanne took another breath. Dorothy choked on the breath she had just taken when she saw James standing there._  
  
 _“Bloody hell, I was worried about waking you,” he commented. “She sounds like the Hogwarts Express!” Dorothy stared at him, unable to speak. He furrowed his brow. “Dorothy, you okay?”_  
  
 _“Huh?” she said, snapping out of her shock. Her cheeks burned in embarrassment. “Oh! I’m fine! Um, what are you doing here?”_  
  
 _James shoved his hands in the pockets of his pajama pants, looking down. “I couldn’t sleep.”_  
  
 _Dorothy nodded, not fully understanding. “Okay?”_  
  
 _James sighed. “You know how you said you’d be there for me anytime?” Dorothy nodded. “Well, uh—” He faltered. “You know what? Never mind. I’m sorry. It was stupid—”_  
  
 _“James?” Dorothy said quickly. He turned to look at her and she could easily spot the sadness in his eyes. “Do you need to talk?”_  
  
 _His face relaxed into a sad smile. “Desperately.”_  
  
 _Dorothy slipped out of her and Roxanne’s room and took his arm. “Come on; let’s take a walk, okay?”_  
  
 _The two of them walked in silence until they got outside. Dorothy let go of his arm and wrapped her arms around her waist, watching her feet land in pockets of grass. “I miss her,” James said._  
  
 _Dorothy nodded. “Has she owled?”_  
  
 _“She says she needs time,” James said. “That I need to prove to her I still love her.”_  
  
 _Dorothy scoffed. “How are you planning to do that?”_  
  
 _James laughed. “You’re the girl! That’s your job. To help translate the batty shit.”_  
  
 _“Maybe I’m not the right girl for the job, James,” Dorothy said softly. “You know, I’m not your average girl.”_  
  
 _James laughed. “Yeah, I know.” An awkward silence fell between the two of them as they walked through the moonlit path. Dorothy’s heart was racing. Sure, she and James were friends, but they never really spent time together just the two of them. She wasn’t sure she could handle this._  
  
 _“Have you ever had a boyfriend, Dorothy?”_  
  
 _Dorothy’s head snapped up. “What?”_  
  
 _“Have you ever had a boyfriend?” James repeated._  
  
 _Dorothy’s cheeks burned. “Once,” she said. “Henry LaPierre. Third year. He held my hand and ate meals with me every day for three months. I’m not really the relationship type. I used to do dates, for Hogsmeade. Not very often though. I’m not really the girl blokes think about dating.”_  
  
 _James nodded. “Well, you’re not an average girl.”_  
  
 _Dorothy nodded. “Yeah.”_  
  
 _James stopped walking and grabbed Dorothy’s hand. “That’s not a bad thing, Dorothy.”_  
  
 _“Course not,” Dorothy said. “Every girl wants to be abnormal and ignored by blokes.”_  
  
 _“That’s not what I mean, and you know it,” James said._  
  
 _“Sorry,” Dorothy said, her cheeks reddening._  
  
 _“You blush a lot,” he said, tucking a strand of blonde hair that had fallen out of her braid behind her ear. Her breath hitched in the back of her throat. “It’s cute.”_  
  
 _“James,” she managed to squeak as his large hand cupped her face._  
  
 _“I have no clue how you aren’t completely attacked by blokes at school,” he whispered. “You’re not the average girl, Dorothy. You’re special.”_  
  
 _Dorothy couldn’t breathe. Her eyes frantically searched James’s face for an explanation as he stepped closer to her. The summer night was warm and slightly sticky, light from the full moon drenching them. Fireflies buzzed around the pair, humming a love song. “You’re different,” he said, his hazel eyes slipping closed._  
  
 _Dorothy squeaked as James placed his lips over hers._  
  
 _***_  
  
 _“I don’t understand what’s going on, James,” Dorothy said as she splashed her feet in the pond. “I’m supposed to be helping you win Jen back, right?”_  
  
 _“Yes,” James said as he laid back in the sandy grass beside her. “And you are.” He reached up and grabbed her arm, pulling at her to lay down with him._  
  
 _“But how is snogging me helping?” Dorothy asked, shaking her arm out of his grasp. “She broke up with you for snogging another girl.”_  
  
 _James sat up sighing. “Jen says she needs time. Needs to sort out her feelings and such. Shouldn’t I do the same? You know, sort out whatever I’m feeling for you? I don’t want to get back with her if I fancy you. Not to mention, you still manage to give me impeccable advice that keeps her owling me. Honestly, I’d be bloody lost without you.”_  
  
 _“So is that what this is?” Dorothy asked. “An experiment? Keep snogging me until you’re sick of it?”_  
  
 _“No,” James said quickly. “Merlin, no. Of course not. I…I like you, Dorothy. A lot. And right now, I’m a single bloke with an amazing female best mate. If I like you and you like me, why shouldn’t we test the waters? That way, when Jen’s finally ready to talk, I’ll know what I want.”_  
  
 _Dorothy nodded. “I just feel…dirty, almost. Like we’re fooling around behind her back. She’s never been anything but nice to me—”_  
  
 _“Dorothy,” James said, cutting off her rambling with a short kiss. “Jen and I are broken up. You and I are perfectly fine, unless you want to stop.”_  
  
 _“No!” Dorothy said quickly, causing James to chuckle. She swatted his chest lightly, her face turning the shade of a ripened tomato. “Stop it,” she whined._  
  
 _“I thought we just agreed that you didn’t want to stop,” James teased._  
  
 _Dorothy rolled her eyes and shook her head. “You’re insufferable.”_  
  
 _***_  
  
 _“We’ve got to tell Freddie,” Dorothy said, leaning her head back into the rough bark of the thick tree out in back of the Potter’s home. “He’s threatening to kidnap me if I keep blowing him off.”_  
  
 _James frowned, sitting down beside her against the tree trunk. “I don’t know, Dorothy—”_  
  
 _“James, he’s my best mate,” Dorothy said._  
  
 _“Well, yeah, he’s mine too,” James shot back. “I’m just worried he won’t understand.”_  
  
 _“Won’t understand?” Dorothy asked. “James, it’s not like you’re cheating on Jen with me. You two have been broken up all summer.”_  
  
 _“He’ll think I’m using you,” James said._  
  
 _Dorothy shook her head. “You’re not using me.”_  
  
 _“Well, it feels like I am sometimes,” he blurted out._  
  
 _Dorothy turned to look at him. “Really?”_  
  
 _“Course it does, Dorothy,” James said. “Like you said in the beginning, we got close because you were supposed to be helping me get back with Jen. And then I kept kissing you.”_  
  
 _“Hey,” Dorothy said, scrambling over to him and taking his face in her hands. “Look at me.” She locked eyes with him. “I swear to Merlin, you are_ not _taking advantage of me. If anyone is taking advantage of anyone, it’s me with you. I let you keep kissing me. You were the vulnerable one.”_  
  
 _“You’re not,” he interjected._  
  
 _“Good,” she said with a smile. “Because I don’t want either one of us to regret anything that happens between us this summer.” She pressed her forehead against his and her eyes slipped shut. “Okay?”_  
  
 _He smiled and pecked her lips softly. “Okay.”_  
  
 _“We need to tell Freddie,” she said, eyes still closed._  
  
 _“Well, that’s good because he’s got a hell of a lot of questions,” Freddie snapped from above them. Dorothy and James leapt apart to see Freddie Weasley standing before them, anger radiating off of him in nearly visible waves. “And he expects some honest answers starting right_ now _.”_  
  
 _***_  
  
 _Two people entered the Leaky Cauldron about fifteen minutes before closing and sat in Dorothy’s section. Sighing, she grabbed two menus and made her way over to the table in the back, annoyed that she was stuck with who were going to be that night’s final customers. “Welcome to the Leaky Cauldron, my name’s Thee, our specials tonight are—oh, it’s you two,” she said, finally realizing that Freddie and James were the ones sitting at the table, beaming stupidly up at her. “I take it you two are speaking again?” she said with a grin._  
  
 _“No answers until you’ve finished your waitress speech,” Freddie demanded. “It’s my favorite part of coming to the pub.”_  
  
 _“Come on, babe,” James said with a smirk. “It’s cute.”_  
  
 _“You two come in fifteen minutes before the dining room closes and expect me to play nice waitress?” Dorothy teased. “You’ve got to be joking.”_  
  
 _“James is staying the night,” Freddie said. “We just wanted to grab something edible instead of the wheatgrass stew my mum made for dinner.”_  
  
 _“My mum gave her that recipe,” Dorothy said, handing the boys menus. “So I’d hush up about it unless you want Hannah shoving a broomstick up your arse.”_  
  
 _“Feisty,” James joked._  
  
 _“Hannah’d never lay a hand on me,” Freddie said with a toothy grin. “She loves me too much. Everyone knows I’m her favorite.”_  
  
 _“I’ll still have her spit in your food, Weasley,” Dorothy said. “Tell her it’s James’s plate.” She ran her hand through James’s hair fondly as he gaped up at her in surprise. “I’m glad you two are talking again.”_  
  
 _“Took long enough,” James said with a pout. “He never stopped talking to you.”_  
  
 _“That’s because he doesn’t know how to be mad at me. Never has,” Dorothy said, pecking James’s cheek. “It’s one of my favorite things about him.”_  
  
 _“Ugh, cut the couple crap around me, would you? It’s bloody disgusting,” Freddie groaned._  
  
 _James shot him a cheeky smirk. “What can I say? I love a girl in uniform.”_  
  
 _Dorothy laughed and walked over to another one of her tables, clearing empty plates away with a flick of her wand._  
  
 _***_  
  
 _“She wants me back,” James said breathlessly._  
  
 _Dorothy’s chest tightened. “She does?”_  
  
 _“She says she thinks she does,” James said. “I can’t believe it.”_  
  
 _“What are you going to do?” Dorothy asked. “Does she know about us?”_  
  
 _“Us?” James asked. “Merlin, no! And she doesn’t need to. I mean, it’s not like we were ever official. We knew going into it I wanted to be with Jen.”_  
  
 _Dorothy felt as though she was going to vomit. “We did?”_  
  
 _James looked at her. “We talked about this, Dorothy. Jen and I weren’t together, so it was okay to test the waters. I mean, if Jen didn’t want me, I would date you in a heartbeat. Honestly. You’re a brilliant, fantastic girl. But Jen’s my number one, y’know?”_  
  
 _Dorothy let out a harsh laugh. “Right. Of course.”_  
  
 _“You said it was okay,” James said, grabbing her hand. “You said I wasn’t using you.”_  
  
 _“No, you weren’t,” Dorothy said. “I just thought that this summer meant something more than number two on some list of birds you’d date.”_  
  
 _“Of course it did, Dorothy!” James said. “But it’s…it’s_ Jen _. She’s all I ever wanted.”_  
  
 _Dorothy nodded. “I know, James. I know.”_  
  
 _“We’ve got to stop.”_  
  
 _“I know.”_  
  
 _***_  
  
 _“James?” Dorothy asked as she opened her bedroom window to see James floating there on his broomstick. “What are you doing here?”_  
  
 _“I need you,” he said. Dorothy could hear how upset he was in shaking of his voice._  
  
 _“What happened?” she asked, letting him into her bedroom._  
  
 _“Jen and I got into a fight,” he said. He dropped his broom and grabbed her, hugging her to him. “Do you mind…just once more…”_  
  
 _Dorothy nodded, taking his face in her hands. “Anytime, James. What are friends for?”_  
  
 _He smiled in relief and covered her mouth with his own, just trying to forget._  
  
 _***_  
  
“And from there, it was just small things. She’d blow him off for her friends. She didn’t owl him back for a few days. He’d go to me as a way to remind himself that someone still cared,” Dorothy said.  
  
Hope and Fiona stared at her in silence, processing the story of Dorothy and James. Their friendship turned romance turned _not_. “Bloody hell,” Fiona breathed. “Longbottom, you’re just full of surprises.”  
  
“What I don’t understand is why you kept letting him come back,” Hope said. “After everything he put you through, you just kept making excuses for him.”  
  
“I loved him,” Dorothy said. “I thought I always had, since I was twelve. But then that summer, I fell so hard for that boy. I would’ve done anything to keep him around.”  
  
“Hooked up,” Fiona muttered. She then gasped loudly. “Oh, bugger, did you two shag?”  
  
“No!” Dorothy cried. “No. Neither of us was ready.”  
  
“Thank Merlin,” Fiona muttered. “Not that there’s anything wrong with shagging, course, I mean, your decision.” Dorothy and Hope both stared at Fiona’s outburst with uneasy confusion, neither really knowing how to respond. “Wait, why didn’t you tell Freddie from the start?” Fiona demanded, snapping out of her mental conversation. “You two don’t keep anything from each other.”  
  
“It was never supposed to be anything,” Dorothy insisted. “It started out as a couple kisses, and then suddenly it was this whole secret… _thing._ James was scared to tell him. So was I.”  
  
“What about now?” Hope asked suddenly. “He and Jen have been back together for what? A month?”  
  
Dorothy nodded. “He ended things permanently. The day we were supposed to look through my Quidditch journal the first time.”  
  
“I knew there was more to that then you not feeling well,” Hope said.  
  
“Not to mention Freddie came tearing through the common room not ten minutes after she went to bed with ice cream _and_ he spent the night,” Fiona reminded her.  
  
“Sorry,” Dorothy said.  
  
“It’s okay,” Fiona said shrugging. “We all make mistakes.”  
  
“James wasn’t a mistake,” Dorothy said firmly. “I always mean that. I don’t regret my summer with James. I don’t regret anything I did or anything I said. I love him.”  
  
“Love?” Hope asked, worry evident in her voice.  
  
“He’s one of my best friends,” Dorothy said. “I’ll always love him. But that doesn’t mean I’m _in_ love with him anymore.”  
  
“Are you?” Fiona asked.  
  
Dorothy was quiet for a moment. “Honestly, I don’t know.” Hope and Fiona shared a look full of concern. “Did he really tell Jen that he wished she was more like me?”  
  
“Yes,” Hope said hesitantly.  
  
Dorothy smiled, a stupid giddiness filling her all the way up from her toes. Her thick blonde hair was still slightly wet, and she began to braid it to go to sleep. “Isn’t that just a fun thought.”  
  
“Longbottom,” Fiona warned. “I wouldn’t go do anything with that information. You’re in a good place right now. Don’t go ruining your happiness with some boy who’s still in a relationship with the perfect girl.”  
  
“She can’t be too perfect if she’s being told to be like me,” Dorothy said happily. “And I’m not, don’t worry. I’ve got too much on my plate right now to add James Potter.”  
  
Fiona bit her bottom lip. “I don’t believe you.”  
  
Dorothy laughed and rolled her eyes, securing the bottom of her braid with an elastic from around her wrist. “Well, you should. We’re Hufflepuffs, doesn’t that make us trustworthy?”  
  
“Even Hufflepuffs can be dishonest,” Hope said.  
  
“Yeah, she’s a prime example,” Fiona joked.  
  
“You are a horrible human being,” Hope snapped. “Why am I friends with you?”  
  
“You’d shrivel without me,” Fiona replied grinning.  
  
“Well, I’m still in my robe, I’d like to put my pajamas on,” Dorothy said, laughing to herself and standing from her fourposter. She made her way over to her dresser and pulled out flannel pants and Freddie’s old Quidditch kit. “It’s been an eventful day. We should all get some shut eye.”  
  
“Wait!” Fiona screamed. Dorothy jumped, dropping the shirt on her bed.  
  
“Bloody hell, you freak of nature, _what_?” Hope snapped  
  
Fiona smirked devilishly. “How was your date with Marcus?”  
  
Hope’s face went pale. Dorothy snorted with laughter and pulled Freddie’s shirt on over her head, then stepped into her pants. “Come on, Jacobs, spill! You’re the only one who hasn’t!”  
  
“He took me to Pudifoot’s, how great could it have been?” Hope said.  
  
“Aw, come on, Marcus is a sweetheart,” Dorothy said.  
  
“Not my type,” Hope said, crawling beneath the covers. “What was that said about needing sleep?”  
  
“Hope, anything that asks you out is deemed not your type,” Fiona said rolling her eyes. “What’s his problem?”  
  
Hope sighed. “He used ketchup and kisses like a drunken frog. He’s a wonderful friend. And I told him that. No harm done. Goodnight, girls.”  
  
Fiona and Dorothy laughed. “Goodnight, Hopie,” Fiona sang, turning out her light.  
  
“Sweet dreams,” Dorothy said, shutting her light off. She snuggled deep into her covers and closed her eyes, sighing happily. She knew her dreams would be sweet.


	9. I Just Don't Understand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I really don’t appreciate the conversation that has gone on here this morning. I think you both should run back over to your little Hufflepuff table before the Gryffindors stop being so polite.”
> 
> “Well, I don’t really appreciate when people use cheap hair spells to become a ginger and make us real gingers look ridiculous.”

“Damnit, Longbottom, I said loosen up!” Hope yelled from the other side of the pitch.  
  
Dorothy looked down at her captain, startled, tossing the Quaffle she’d just blocked back and forth between her hands. “I’m still tense?”  
  
Hope hopped on her broom and shot up next to Dorothy. “Yes. Sure, you block pretty much everything that comes near you, but you get faked too easily. Relax your body. Be one with the broom, blah, blah, blah. As soon as you miss something, you get even more rigid, which throws your whole mojo out of whack. Breathe, Dora. It’s a game.”  
  
“But I want to be perfect,” Dorothy said. “I know all the calculations, all the possibilities…no one should be able to score on me!”  
  
“Dora, Quidditch isn’t an Arithmancy project,” Hope said with a soft laugh. “It’s passion and reaction and dedication. You know the game backwards and forwards. But knowledge isn’t what will make you fantastic. That comes from your heart. When Quidditch changes from being stats in your record book to something you can actually enjoy rather than analyze…that’s when you’ll be unstoppable.”  
  
Dorothy looked away from Hope and chucked the Quaffle over her head to Marcus. “I enjoy the game.”  
  
Hope smiled. “You enjoy analyzing the game. Finding the flaws and orchestrating a well-oiled machine. You spend too much time correcting and not enough playing.”  
  
Dorothy frowned and looked back at Hope. “I disagree.”  
  
Hope smirked. “Not fun to be the one of the pages of your book, is it?”  
  
Dorothy sighed. “Can’t we just get back to practice?”  
  
“Honey, you’re in practice,” Hope said, laying down on her broomstick. “Our first match is in three days and Fi’s still trying to bulk Kyle up, Marcus and Jesse are still conditioning Greg, and I’m still trying to defrost my Keeper.”  
  
Dorothy frowned. “I don’t like this.”  
  
“What?” Hope asked. “Criticism or not being the one who gets to give it?”  
  
“Both,” Dorothy pouted. Hope burst into laughter.  
  
“FUCK! HEADS UP!” Fiona screeched. Dorothy and Hope turned their attention back to the pitch to see a Bludger barreling towards them. They yelped in surprise and simultaneously performed a Sloth Grip Roll, avoiding the Bludger as it looped around where their heads had been mere moments before and shot back down towards Fiona and Kyle.  
  
Dorothy and Hope looked at each other and snickered. “Well, at least you’ve got that down. Greg still slips when he tries.”  
  
“Hope, I’ve been able to do that since I was eight,” Dorothy said over Fiona’s shrieking as Kyle began rapidly performing pushups. “It’s not like I’ve never been on a broom before.”  
  
Hope snorted. “Well, if we could get your Keeping to be as sassy as your attitude, we’d be in great shape for Thursday.”  
  
“ _You could’ve killed someone!_ ” Fiona screamed.  
  
“Err, as long as Fi doesn’t wring Kyle’s neck, we’re already in great shape for our first match,” Dorothy informed her.  
  
Hope shot Dorothy her famous glare. “That is _not_ the point.”  
  
***  
  
“I hate Quidditch,” Dorothy groaned as she adjusted her head in Freddie’s lap. Gryffindors moved about their common room freely around them, everyone so accustomed to Dorothy’s presence in the Tower that no one even questioned it anymore. Freddie chuckled at Dorothy’s frustration, his dark callused hand running softly through the blonde strands splayed out over his legs. “I’m rubbish at it,” she continued.  
  
“Bollocks,” Freddie said. “You’re fantastic.”  
  
“You have to say that,” Dorothy said, laying her cheek against his stomach. “You’re my best friend.”  
  
“That’s not how it works, Dor,” Freddie said, rolling his eyes.  
  
“Shut up,” she demanded. “Either agree with me or don’t speak and just play with my hair, Weasley.”  
  
Freddie chuckled, his laughter tossing her head around on his lap. She groaned. “Freddie!”  
  
“Dorothy!” he teased. He lifted a small chunk of her hair up, letting it slide between his fingers, and fall back into his lap.  
  
She pouted and closed her eyes. “You’re horrible.” Freddie chuckled and began attempting to braid strands of Dorothy’s hair, causing her to slap at his hands. “Fred, you’re going to get it all knotted.”  
  
“Ooh, that sounds fun,” Freddie muttered eagerly.  
  
The portrait hole slammed open and shut loudly, and the students inside the common room could hear the Fat Lady’s loud protests. Freddie dropped Dorothy’s hair as Dorothy sat up slightly out of his lap to see what the commotion was. What they saw was James.  
  
“What the hell is she doing here?” he snapped, irritation obvious in his face and voice.  
  
Dorothy’s eye brows hit her hairline and Freddie coughed on the breath he just took. “What?” Freddie asked.  
  
“What?” James snapped, now looking directly at Dorothy. “You’ve got your own fucking common room, why’ve you got to be in ours all the bloody time?”  
  
The common room was silent. Dorothy’s face was as scarlet as the tapestries hanging down the brick walls, her eyes flooded with salty tears. Freddie stood up from the couch violently, shoving Dorothy fully into a sitting position with his movement.  
  
“Apologize,” he demanded, his voice low and shaky with rage. “Now.”  
  
“What in Merlin’s name for?” James shot back. “She’s not in our house; she shouldn’t be taking up space here! There’s enough of us already!”  
  
“You don’t fucking waltz in here and curse in Dorothy’s face!” Freddie roared. “Now apologize, James!”  
  
“I just said exactly what everyone else was already thinking,” James spat.  
  
“I don’t give a toad’s ass what you think you were doing, James!” Freddie replied. “Dorothy’s _our_ mate!”  
  
James scoffed. “Yeah, some mate she is to me, Weasley, all she does is fuck up my relationship!”  
  
Freddie laughed harshly. “Oh, please, you don’t need Dorothy to fuck up your relationship, you’re pretty damn good at it without her!”  
  
The portrait hole closed solidly. Freddie and James turned from each other, distracted, to look at the entryway, and then down at where Dorothy had been sitting moments before.  
  
Freddie’s gaze snapped back to his cousin. “You’re real git. You know that, right?”  
  
Freddie turned and ran from the common room after her. Luckily, she hadn’t gotten very far.  
  
“Dor?” he said he said hesitantly from the top of the staircase she was sitting on.  
  
She let out a loud sob that smashed Freddie’s heart into pieces. He hurried down the staircase and sat beside her, wrapping his arm tightly around her shoulders. She buried her face in his chest, her body shaking as she cried. “Why does he have so much power over me?” she choked out.  
  
Freddie ran his hand over her hair, holding her close against him. “He’s a git, Dor.”  
  
“J-just because he told his stu-stupid girlfriend th-that he wished sh-she was m-more like m-me, d-doesn’t make it m-my f-f-fault!” she cried, her voice muffled slightly against his chest.  
  
“He did _what?_ ” Freddie asked.  
  
Dorothy pushed herself out of Freddie’s grasp and nodded, wiping at her eyes with her hands. “That’s what Hope said she and Marcus overheard in Puddifoot’s.”  
  
Dorothy could tell Freddie wanted to say more on the subject. She looked at him, tears in her eyes and snot threatening to drop out of her nose. Her face was red and blotchy. “It only makes sense,” he said, pulling her back towards him and she rubbed beneath her nose vigorously. “You’re the best, most beautiful girl I’ve ever met.”  
  
“Oh, shut up, Freddie, I look horrendous,” she mumbled into his chest.  
  
He smiled, rubbing her back in slow circles. “That’s impossible, Dor.”  
  
***  
  
“Is Freddie spending the night?” Fiona asked, her tone slightly sour as she and Hope entered the seventh year girls’ dormitory that night.  
  
Dorothy’s face paled. “Is that a problem?”  
  
Fiona’s brow furrowed. “No…has it ever been? It just means I’ve got to wear pants to bed tonight and I totally wasn’t planning on it.”  
  
“Want an extra blanket?” Hope asked as she began rummaging through her trunk for her pajamas. “I don’t want to have to hear Freddie moaning about how Dora’s comforter is too short to cover his feet.”  
  
Freddie grinned and sent Dorothy a saucy wink. “You know, I really love you Puffs.”  
  
***  
  
Dorothy woke up later than usual the next morning completely intertwined with Freddie’s broad and muscled frame. He was holding her tightly against him, their legs intertwined and her head on his chest. Her arm was across his stomach, holding him as tightly as he was holding her. Dorothy’s eyes fluttered open tiredly and she muttered, “Morning,” her voice deep with fatigue. She lifted her chin to look at him, and he was staring down at her, a stupid smile on his face.  
  
“Morning, sleepy head,” he said softly.  
  
“How long have you been up?” she asked as she decided that the strain in her neck from her head’s new position was not worth it and she snuggled her face back into his chest.  
  
Freddie’s hand slid up her back to play with the end of her braid as he thoughtfully replied, “Oh, about an hour.”  
  
“An hour?” she asked, letting out a small, high pitched yawn. “Why didn’t you wake me?”  
  
Freddie shrugged. “Fiona and Hope wanted to because they were hungry, but I sent them down without us a couple minutes ago. You looked like you could use the sleep.”  
  
Dorothy yawned and stretched her legs out, and then tightened her grip around her best friend. “Oh. Okay.”  
  
Dorothy almost let herself fall back asleep, letting her eyes slip shut as she let the rising and falling of Freddie’s chest rock her back into relaxation. “Are you hungry?” she slurred sleepily.  
  
“Eh, whatever,” Freddie responded nonchalantly.  
  
Dorothy forced her eyes open and looked up at him again, nodding her head. “Let’s go to breakfast. I’ll sleep on you more later.”  
  
“Brilliant,” Freddie said, shooting her a broad smile. “I’ve had to take a piss for about fifteen mintues.”  
  
Dorothy rolled out of Freddie’s grasp so he could jump to his feet and head straight for the bathroom. Slowly, she pulled herself out of the warmth of her bed and went over to her dresser to change into her uniform. She cast her pajamas and dirty underwear aside and pulled on clean clothes. As she began buttoning her Oxford button down with one hand, she pulled the elastic off the bottom of her braid with the other and shook out the twist. Dorothy hung a black and yellow tie around her neck; not bothering to tie it as she tucked her shirt in, knowing Freddie would do a much better job.  
  
“Almost ready?” Freddie asked as he came out of the bathroom, his own scarlet and gold tie loose around his neck.  
  
Dorothy turned to him, a tired smile on her face. She spread her arms and cutely cried, “Tie me!”  
  
Freddie chuckled and took the ends of the silk tie in his hands, quickly tying it into a classy Double Windsor knot. “Fancy,” she commented, allowing him to tighten it half way up her chest. She then threw her arms around him and took a deep breath. “Let’s go get waffles.”  
  
***  
  
“You are such an arse, James Potter!”  
  
Dorothy looked up at Freddie, curiosity etched upon her face due to the screaming echoing out of the open doors of the Great Hall. “Was that—?”  
  
Freddie looked down at her with a mischievous grin. “I bloody hope so.”  
  
Dorothy grabbed Freddie’s hand and dragged him down the last bit of the corridor and into breakfast. Standing up by the Gryffindor table were Hope and Fiona, Hope glaring at James Potter and waiting for a response. Dorothy froze, watching the scene play out before her, holding Freddie back from joining in.  
  
“Um, do I know you?” James asked, looking around at the people he was sitting with and laughing, tightening his arm around Jen’s near non-existent waist.  
  
Hope smiled cruelly at him as Fiona watched with anticipation, obviously ready to step in if she had to. “You, Potter,” she spat, “are the most insensitive, entitled, arrogant toe rag to ever grace the halls of Hogwarts! You go around with a troll sized head on your shoulders with the idea of ‘I’m James Potter, everyone loves me’ and you never think about how what you do or say could affect someone else.”  
  
“Hadn’t noticed,” James said, cutting a piece of pancake with his fork and shoving it in his mouth.  
  
Hope snorted, her rage exploding from her in the form of laughter. Fiona’s smug expression flipped to one of surprise, for she knew nothing good came from Hope when she started the giggle. “Maybe you should dig your head out of your own arse and dislodge the shit from your ears and pay the fuck attention to the people who are supposed to be important to you,” Hope said in a low, dangerous voice.  
“On the track you’re on right now, you’ll end up old and fat, still telling stories of the good ol’ days to the bottles of firewhiskey scattered across your flat.”  
  
James dropped his fork and violently stood up from the table. “Who the bloody hell do you think you are, huh? I don’t even fucking know you!”  
  
Hope grinned, her amber eyes burning. She stuck out her hand to him. “Jacobs. Hope Jacobs. Seventh year Hufflepuff, Captain of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, roommate and best friend of Fiona Little and Dorothy Longbottom. Maybe you’d know if you bothered to pay attention in the multiple classes we’ve had together through the years, too.”  
  
Jen stiffened as Hope said Dorothy’s name and turned on the bench to look at Hope. “You’re a friend of Thee Longbottom?”  
  
Hope looked around James at her. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t talking to you. It’s rude to eavesdrop.”  
  
“Don’t talk to her like that!” James demanded.  
  
Hope scoffed. “Oh, you’re one to talk.”  
  
Jen stood, placing her arm on James’s shoulder and looking down at Hope condescendingly. “I really don’t appreciate the conversation that has gone on here this morning. I think you both should run back over to your little Hufflepuff table before the Gryffindors stop being so polite.”  
  
“Well, I don’t really appreciate when people use cheap hair spells to become a ginger and make us real gingers look ridiculous,” Hope shot back.  
  
Jen gasped. “I don’t use a spell!”  
  
Fiona laughed. “So your roots are supposed to be blonde?”  
  
“I think you should go,” James said firmly.  
  
“I think she’s funny,” Roxy piped up from the other side of the table.  
  
“No one asked you,” James snapped.  
  
Hope smiled and pushed past James. “You’re, um…Roxy, right? Freddie’s sister?” Roxy nodded. Hope grinned. “Nice to meet you. I’m Hope. I haven’t gotten the briefing on all of you yet; Dorothy’s writing me biographies or something.”  
  
“Hope!” Dorothy squeaked, now darting down the Great Hall towards the crowd of people making a scene over her, Freddie close on her heels.  
  
Hope’s head snapped to Dorothy and Freddie and waved. “Morning! I thought you two would never untangle yourselves from each other.”  
  
Dorothy’s face managed to become an even darker shade of scarlet than it had been from just listening to the confrontation. Freddie coughed, choking on the breath he’d just taken. James turned to both of them, a mixture of betrayal and confusion on his face.  
  
“Thee,” Jen said, a sickening sweetness dripping from her voice. “What’s up?”  
  
“Just coming to breakfast,” she said hesitantly. “You know.”  
  
“What the hell’s going on, Dorothy?” James demanded. “Sending in your little Hufflepuff army to harass me while you and Freddie shag?”  
  
Dorothy felt tears well up in her eyes. “Get over yourself, James.” She paused momentarily, studying the cocky, unaffected reaction on his face. “And my name is Thee.”  
  
***  
  
“You’re going to be bloody fantastic,” Freddie told Dorothy, his hands gripping her padded shoulders tightly. “I’m going to miss you in the stands, but I’ve already had Creevey set up his camera so you can study it later tonight.”  
  
Dorothy let out the breath she was holding and nodded. “Okay. Are you sitting with James?”  
  
Freddie shook his head, his brow furrowed with his irritation towards his cousin. “He’s sitting with Jen in Ravenclaw. Rox, Lil, Al, Hugh, and I are all in Hufflepuff’s support section, like true lions.”  
  
Dorothy nodded. “Has he talked to you?” she asked quietly.  
  
“Dor,” Freddie said, his voice tired. “Stop thinking about him.”  
  
“I can’t help it,” she said, looking up at Freddie and frowning. “He’s your best mate…and I thought he was mine, too…”  
  
Freddie took her chin and forced their eyes to meet. “You’re my best mate. And I’m yours. And neither of us are going anywhere, and that’s all that matters.”  
  
Dorothy bit her lip, trying to hide her smile. “I know.”  
  
Freddie smiled sadly back at her. “He hasn’t. Not like I’ve seen him, really. I’m either down in Hufflepuff with you or he’s in Ravenclaw with her.”  
  
Dorothy nodded, her face drawn in thought. “I still can’t believe he said we shagged.”  
  
Freddie snorted softly, in almost a sad way. “I know. How long have we been spending the night in the other’s dormitory?”  
  
Dorothy allowed her smile to grow a bit larger. “I don’t even know anymore. I’m just nervous for this damn match…”  
  
Freddie took her head in his large hands and pressed his lips to her forehead. “You’ll be great,” he whispered.  
  
Dorothy leaned her body towards him and hugged him. “You’re wonderful to me. Are you alright?”  
  
Freddie chuckled this time, and she hugged him tighter as his arms wrapped around her head and shoulders. “I’m with you, aren’t I?”  
  
“Oh, shut up. I’m being serious.”  
  
Freddie nodded. “I’m fine, Dor. Don’t worry about me.”  
  
Nodding, she let her eyes slip closed. “Whatever you say, Freddie.”  
  
“C’mon,” Freddie said, allowing her to lean her head back and look at him. “You’ve got a game to win. And if you let those snakes win, I might just cry.”  
  
***  
  
Dorothy hovered in front of the goal posts, her heart pounding. She’d let a couple slip past her, and knew that she was tensing up. She needed something to distract her a little bit, to get her mind off of making a mistake.  
  
She scanned the crowd, looking for Freddie’s face. She found him, his face streaked with yellow, screaming amidst his cousins as Hufflepuff scored on Slytherin’s Keeper. Smiling, she turned back to the pitch, her eyes focused on the Quaffle now back in play. The Slytherins were working their way up the pitch, obviously nervous considering they were now sixty points behind Hufflepuff.  
  
Dorothy took a breath, tightening her grip on her broom, ready to keep the score just the way it was. "C'mon, Longbottom! You got it!" a familiar voice shouted from the crowd, right as the Slytherin Chaser took his shot. She nearly leapt off of her broom, swatting it away from the goal post and into Marcus's waiting grasp with the tips of her fingers. Marcus, Jesse, and Greg took a smooth and practiced trip down the pitch, scoring quickly. Immediately after, Hope's hand closed around the Snitch right before the Slytherin Seeker’s could.  
  
As Dorothy flew to the ground to join the screaming huddle of her teammates, something clicked in her mind. She stopped walking and turned around, staring into the crowd. That voice right before her final save hadn't been Freddie's. Her eyes caught James's, and he smiled, giving her two thumbs up.  
  
"Oi, Longbottom, get in here already!" Fiona shouted, grabbing Dorothy's hand and dragging her into team.


	10. I Just Want to Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “So this is what the Gryffindor common room looks like. It's so…Gryffindor-y.”
> 
> "Shocking."

Dorothy didn’t really understand how her life had changed so radically so quickly. Somehow, she’d gone from shy and in love with James Potter to shy and screwing around with James Potter to not-as shy, not screwing around and not even friends with James Potter, as well as Hufflepuff Quidditch player. She had two new best friends, who were actually in her own house, and she always had Freddie by her side through it all. Not to mention, all this had happened within the first two months of her seventh year!  
  
“I love Halloween,” Fiona said, laughing as the trick she had placed at the entrance of the Hufflepuff common room scared a group of third years who were walking in.  
  
Hope snorted as the girls screamed. “You’re a horrible human being.”  
  
“Hey,” Fiona said, flipping her long dark hair over her shoulder. “I’m just getting people into the Halloween spirit.”  
  
“Can we go to breakfast now?” Dorothy asked, placing her hands over her rumbling stomach. “My tummy is crying like that poor first year was earlier.”  
  
“Ooh, food sounds nice,” Hope agreed as Dorothy’s stomach let out another low groan.  
  
Fiona sighed and nodded. “Alright, we can go. I _wanted_ to see what happened to Bruce, but whatever.”  
  
Dorothy smiled as she let up off the couch. “You’re wonderful.”  
  
The girls made their way through floating jack-o-lantern lined corridors, listening and laughing at Fiona’s predictions about her planned pranks for the day. They approached the staircase that took them up to the ground floor of the castle where the Great Hall was and hurried up the steps. “Thee!” someone called once the three Hufflepuffs had emerged from the stairs.  
  
Dorothy turned. “Oh, hi, Lily,” she said with a small smile. “What’s up?”  
  
Lily closed the gap between herself and Dorothy, looking to be very overwhelmed. Her normally stick straight and flowing red hair was frizzing into a small monster, and it was obvious that she had put her eyeliner on while walking to the Great Hall. “I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind coming to Gryffindor Tower around four thirty to help set up for Roxy’s party. Rose has detention with Malfoy, and we could really use an extra set of hands.”  
  
“Oh, um, yeah, sure,” Dorothy said, mentally running through her plans for the day. “Shouldn’t be a problem.”  
  
“Fi and I could help too if you need it,” Hope said quickly, before Fiona could protest.  
  
Lily’s face broke into a grin. “Really? You wouldn’t mind?”  
  
“’Course not,” Hope said, shooting Lily a sparkling grin. Fiona pinched Hope’s arm, shaking her head furiously. Hope slapped her hand away. “It’d be our pleasure.”  
  
“You guys are life savers!” Lily gushed. “We’re just meeting in the common room, password’s _novum inde_. Fat Lady just changed it.”  
  
Once Lily had disappeared within the Great Hall, Fiona turned on Hope. “ _Really?_ ”  
  
“Oh, shut up,” Hope snapped. “Lily needs the help, it’s the least we can do.”  
  
“The only reason we’re even going to this party is Longbottom! Can’t I just have fun?”  
  
“Act a bit more like a Hufflepuff, would you?”  
  
***  
  
“So this is what the Gryffindor common room looks like,” Fiona said thoughtfully as she ran her hand over one of the scarlet armchairs walking into the main lounging area. “It’s so…Gryffindor-y.”  
  
“Shocking,” Hope said as they followed a snickering Dorothy to the large group by the roaring fireplace.  
  
Freddie, who was lounging in front of the fire, saw them and winked.  
  
“Oh, good, you guys are here,” Lily said. She frantically skimmed the parchment in her hand and let out a breath. Dorothy silently noticed that her mildly poufy hair had grown exponentially throughout the day, and her eyes widened as it seemed to start moving by itself. “I think that’s everyone. We should get started.”  
  
Lily followed the instructions Rose had left her before she’d had to report to detention with Malfoy, and soon everyone was split up around the large room, wielding their wands to transform it into something worthy of a surprise Halloween Sweet Sixteen.  
  
“Damnit,” Hope grunted, realizing her positioning on the sofa cushions wouldn’t supply her with the angle she needed to hang the other side of the large “Happy Birthday, Rox!” banner. Stretching her non-wand arm out for balance, she stepped up onto the back of the sofa and precariously pushed upwards onto her tiptoes, trying to contort her body into the correct position. “I can’t…fucking… _see_ where I’m…supposed…to _put_ …this… _damn_ … _thing!_ ” She leaned forward a tad more, wand extended by the tips of her fingers out in front of her.  
  
“Merlin, Hope!” Dorothy said as she turned to see her friend’s balancing act. “Be careful!”  
  
“Born…careful…” she called back, giving her wand a quick flick to attach the banner to the stone wall. It fastened just as her toes slipped off the wooden frame and onto the upright pillows, sending her body sprawling forwards, face first towards the ground. She yelped and braced herself to hit the floor but instead heard a grunt of exertion over the loud bang of a box being dropped as she landed against the cushioning of a leanly muscled chest and two strong male arms wrapped around her.  
  
She opened her eyes, having not even realized she shut them, to see she was in James Potter’s arms. “You okay?” he asked, his voice thick with concern.  
  
“Um, yeah,” she stammered. Her eyes frantically searched his face, not truly understanding how she had wound up in his grasp rather than with a face full of carpet. “Can you put me down now?”  
  
“Oh!” James said, quickly placing her feet back on the floor. Hope took a large step away from him and straightened her robes. “Sorry.”  
  
“Yeah,” she said, watching as his hand ran through his thick black hair, her brow furrowed in displeasure. “Just because you caught me doesn’t mean I like you.”  
  
“Mutual, sweetheart,” James shot back, frowning.  
  
“Are you okay?” Dorothy said, having dashed across the room with Fiona when they’d seen her fall.  
  
Hope turned to them and gave them a shaky smile. “Fine.”  
  
Fiona looked over to James and said, “Good catch, Potter.”  
  
James shrugged and bent down to pick up his box, quickly walking away from them.  
  
“I told you helping out with set up was a bad idea,” Fiona said. “You could’ve died!”  
  
“Oh, please, Fi,” Hope said. “It was not that bad.”  
  
“You did a front flip into his arms,” Dorothy said. “If he hadn’t been there, you’d’ve slammed your face into the ground.”  
  
“It was surprisingly graceful for you,” Fiona said, wrapping her arms tightly around her best friend’s shoulders. “You’re damn lucky, Jacobs.”  
  
Hope laughed, shaking the strong pull she’d had to James during the two seconds she’d been close to him that had left her heart pounding in her chest. “It’s a gift.”  
  
***  
  
“Have you seen Freddie?” Dorothy asked Rose. The party was in full swing now, and somehow, everything was up to the ridiculous standards of Rose Weasley.  
  
“Haven’t seen him in a while,” Rose answered, throwing back the shot in her hand. “But I’m currently trying to drown the memories of today’s detention in the hopes of never reliving them, so I may have just missed him.” She shot Dorothy a sassy grin and picked up a bottle of Firewhiskey from behind the bar. “Having this might be a bit more effective than that damn glass. Have you checked up in the dormitories?”  
  
“The dormitory?” Dorothy asked, watching as Rose took a long swig of the liquor she’d just snatched. “What would he be doing up there?”  
  
Rose shot her an “oh please” look. “Do I need to explain to you the birds and the bees, Thee?”  
  
“No!” Dorothy said quickly. Rose let out a snort of laughter as Dorothy’s face blossomed into a tomato. “It’s just, um…it’s _Freddie_. He wouldn’t be, um…”  
  
“Having a drunken shag?” Rose filled in.  
  
Dorothy cleared her throat, her face turning an even darker shade of red. “Um, yeah. Not tonight, at least. It’s Rox’s birthday.”  
  
“Oh, love,” Rose said, lowering her bottle. “Freddie may be a sweetheart, but he’s male. And men live for drunken shags, screw the time or place.” She paused and cocked her head, chuckling lightly at herself. “Well, they live for any sort of shag. Just because Freddie sticks to your side like glue doesn’t mean he doesn’t have needs. From how close the two of you are, I’m impressed he doesn’t walk around pitching a tent all the time.” Dorothy’s blush, which had faded slightly, was revived at this comment. “Honestly thought the bloke was gay for a while.”  
  
Dorothy choked on the breath she took. “ _G-gay?_ ”  
  
“It was a logical conclusion,” Rose said shrugging. “He’s not though, if you’re curious.”  
  
Dorothy nodded stiffly, muttering a quiet “I’m aware,” wishing she had gone up to someone else to ask about Freddie. Rose knew absolutely everything, but she was painfully blunt when it came to conversation. She said too much sober, but when she drank she became like a coarse encyclopedia that never seemed to know when she should stop talking.  
  
“Walked in on him quite enough times to be confident in that one, really—”  
  
“Okay!” Dorothy said quickly, squeezing her eyes shut, trying to push the images of her best friend shagging random birds out of her brain. “Thanks for the help, Rose.”  
  
Dorothy walked away, trying to concentrate on something else. Sure, she knew about Freddie’s indulgences in the area of women. The two of them talked about everything. Honestly, Dorothy knew way more than she ever wanted to about Freddie’s sex life. She knew he wasn’t some sort of innocent, but it was never something they focused on. Neither one of them cared that Freddie had meaningless hook-ups and Dorothy was untouched. He was just _her_ Freddie, and she was _his_ Dorothy. But that still didn’t make it okay for a drunk off her ass Rose Weasley to insinuate that he was skipping out on his little sister’s birthday party to get laid.  
  
“Oi, Longbottom!” Fi called, stumbling over to Dorothy.  
  
Dorothy turned just in time to catch her drunken friend as she tripped over the couch foot. “Having a good time?” Dorothy asked.  
  
“Brilliant,” Fiona answered, hiccupping and letting out a guffaw of laughter. “Bloody brilliant. I should’ve come to more Gryffindor parties over the years. This is awesome.”  
  
“I’m glad,” Dorothy said.  
  
“Oh, Merlin, not again,” Hope said from behind them. Dorothy turned her head, just as Fiona puked on her shoes.  
  
“I don’t feel so good,” Fiona said.  
  
“Shit,” Hope said, dropping the drink in her hand and running behind Fiona to catch her as she passed out. Dorothy looked down at her feet and pulled a face, quickly Scourgifying her shoes. “She always passes out right after she pukes. Her body’s way of telling her she’s had enough.”  
  
Dorothy wrapped her arm beneath Fiona’s back, taking some of the weight off of Hope. “Let’s go find her a bed.”  
  
The two Hufflepuffs dragged Fiona upstairs to the sixth year boys’ dormitory. “This one’s Al’s,” Dorothy said, and the two deposited Fiona on the mattress ungracefully.  
  
“You sure he won’t mind?” Hope asked.  
  
“Nah,” Dorothy said, closing the curtains around Thee. “He’s the most mellow bloke I’ve ever met. He doesn’t flip over anything.”  
  
Hope nodded and looked back at her best friend’s sleeping body, leaning over her and brushing a lock of brown hair out of her sleeping eyes. “Does he have an extra quilt?”  
  
“There’s probably one in his trunk,” Dorothy said pulling it open. After a bit of digging, the girls drug out a large, dust filled quilt, shook it out a few times to allow the shattered quill pieces and scraps of parchment to hit the floor, and then laid it over Fiona.  
  
“Ready to head downstairs?” Hope asked, walking over to the door.  
  
“I’ll meet you down there,” Dorothy said, following Hope. “I wanted to see if Freddie was in his dormitory, I haven’t seen him in a while.”  
  
Hope nodded. “Alright. Come find me when you’re done, some fifth year has been following me around all night.”  
  
Dorothy laughed and agreed. Hope turned down the steps to return to the party while Dorothy made her way up the steps to the seventh year boys’ dormitory. It was closed, as she had expected, and didn’t hesitate to open the door.  
  
But rather than seeing a bunch of rowdy teenage boys, a sight Dorothy had become quite accustomed to over the years, her senses were invaded immediately with the grating wails of some girl who was very pleased. The smell of sex and sweat invaded her nose, and as she turned to Freddie’s bed, she caught the eyeful of her best friend ramming himself into some leggy brunette.  
  
Dorothy wanted to run. She wanted to be able to turn around and not look back and pretend that this never happened. But her feet were stuck to the floor, her body frozen. The only thing she could do was let out a short screech.  
  
Freddie’s head turned over his shoulder and his carefree face turned into a scowl. “What’re you doing here?” he snapped, not bothering to stop his movements. “Get the fuck out of here, Dor. You’re not ruining this for me, too.”  
  
“Oh, fuck, _yes!_ ” the bird shrieked.  
  
Dorothy’s wish came true. She turned and ran.  
  
Dorothy stumbled down the stairs and back into the raging party. Her head was pounding, her thoughts swirling, her eyes filling with salty tears. She felt as though she couldn’t breathe. “Thee!”  
  
Dorothy looked up. She groaned out loud to see James, the very last person she _ever_ wanted to see, making his way towards her, concern evident on his boyishly handsome features. She choked out a sob, her heart throbbing. She didn’t even know why she was so upset.  
  
“Hey,” James said, taking her face in his hands and lifting it so she would look at him. “Thee, what’s wrong?”  
  
“I—” Her voice broke off as another gut wrenching sob exploded from her chest. “I can’t do this right now, James.”  
  
She tried to push out of his grasp, but he just held her tighter. “Thee… _Dorothy_.” He wrapped his arms tightly around her, crushing her against his chest. She fell apart in his arms, her hands fisting in his shirt, unable to restrain her emotion. “I’m sorry,” he whispered in her ear.  
  
“S’not your fault,” she replied, holding him tighter.  
  
“Not for this,” he said. “Though I am sorry you’re so upset. I meant about before. I was a git to you.”  
  
Dorothy pulled back from his grasp slightly, tears still pouring down her face and snot threatening to drip from her nose. She sniffed unattractively, her bottom lip trembling. “It’s okay, James.”  
  
He didn’t say anything. Their eyes met and they held each other’s gaze. The party seemed to drift away, leaving the two of them with no one to stand in their way. He moved slowly, hesitantly, as if asking her permission. Dorothy leaned towards him, her eyes slipping shut in silent consent. Their lips met. It was soft and sweet, a simple sharing of mutual affection. Her heart was pounding so loudly she feared James would hear it.  
  
But, to stay true to the night Dorothy was having, the kiss was short lived. Just as she opened her mouth to James, an earsplitting shriek caused them to jump apart.  
  
“ _JAMES POTTER, WHAT THE_ HELL _DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?_ ”


	11. I Just Need to Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Oi, home wrecker. Eat something, would you? You're just playing with your eggs."

"JAMES POTTER, WHAT THE _HELL_ DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?”  
  
James and Dorothy broke apart violently as they turned to the origin of the question. Before them stood Jen, and although her voice sounded angry, hurt and confusion were evident on her face.  
  
"Jen—" James began, his hand shooting up into his hair.  
  
"No," she said, shaking her head. "Just...just don't."  
  
She turned and ran from the room, James hot on her heels. "Jen!" he called after her, his voice desperate.  
  
Dorothy felt as though she couldn't breathe. Tears streamed down her face as people stared blankly at her, not sure of what to do or say.  
  
"Thee?" Roxanne asked as she broke through the crowd, her bright smile slowly fading from her face. "Thee, what's going on?"  
  
Dorothy could feel herself about to lose control. The world was spinning. Her hands began to violently shake as her breaths became shallow and labored, unable to provide her body with the oxygen she so desperately needed.  
  
Suddenly, a hand wrapped around her wrist and yanked her through the crowd. She stumbled into the corridor, the pull on her arm violent. Dorothy crashed into the person's back and blinked twice, realizing she was with Hope.  
  
"Drink this," Hope said, shoving a glass at her friend. "It'll take the edge off."  
  
Still shaking, Dorothy tossed the liquid down her throat. Her insides ignited as the smooth drink burned its way down to her stomach. "What was _that?_ " she spluttered.  
  
"Firewhiskey," Hope replied. "Are you drunk?"  
  
"No," Dorothy responded, wiping tears from her eyes. "Why?"  
  
"Just asking before I yell at you," she snapped. "What the hell was that?"  
  
"Huh?" Dorothy asked.  
  
"You kissed James!" Hope cried. "We talked about this! I thought you were over him!"  
  
"I am over him!" Dorothy shot back.   
  
"Oh, really?" Hope scoffed. "Because I go around snogging taken boys that I'm 'over' as well, too, especially when their girlfriend is in the room!"  
  
"I—" Dorothy stammered, her thoughts swirling. "I don't know what happened. I saw Freddie having sex and he yelled at me and then James was there and apologizing and he looked at me that way that only he does and I was so upset and then he was kissing me and I wasn't thinking and I just broke Jen Brady's heart all over again and I can't breathe—"  
  
"Hey," Hope said, her tone softer. "It's going to be okay. Look at me."  
  
Dorothy looked at Hope, her bottom lip trembling. "I'm going to take you back to Hufflepuff so you can sleep this off. Just...try not to think too much tonight. You need some sleep. We'll...we'll deal with this tomorrow."  
  
Dorothy nodded, following Hope down the corridor, shame bubbling up in her stomach and making her feel sick.  
  
***  
  
 _“JAMES POTTER, WHAT THE_ HELL _DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?”_  
  
Those words were still echoing in Dorothy’s mind, hours afterwards. Sure, it had been a good question at the time. But the real question was what was _Dorothy_ doing?  
  
She had been fully convinced that her feelings for James had flown out the window. She also knew there was no way she had already forgiven him for being such an arse to her, no matter what may have popped out of her mouth. But even before then. Going to find Freddie when she knew fully well where he’d be.  
  
Dorothy groaned, pulling the covers on her four poster up over her head, wishing she were asleep like Hope was. She had created such a scene on Rox’s big night. The crushed look on Jen’s face was burned into her thoughts. As if kissing James wasn’t bad enough, his girlfriend that probably poops rainbows of perfection was there. She’d already been cheated on once by James, but twice? She’d looked devastated. James had gone after her so fast he hadn’t spared a word to Dorothy. And he’d left her in the center of a silent crowd where every single pair of eyes was on her.  
  
Dorothy looked over at Hope's bunk, thankful that she had been there. A selfish part of her brain told her that it should have been Freddie who saved her. If Freddie hasn't been so busy with his latest bimbo, this never would have happened.  
  
But Dorothy knew better. She knew that this was her fault, and that if she hadn't wanted to kiss James, she wouldn't have. She was weak and pathetic. She was cruel.  
  
Hot tears began to roll down her face once again, and Dorothy rolled over in bed, clutching the stuffed bear her father had given her back when she was six years old that had been hidden away in her trunk since fourth year. She wanted someone to lie to her and tell her this would all turn out alright. But she was smart enough to know that tomorrow was going to be one of the worst days of her life. She knew the entire school must've heard by know, for there were never any secrets around Hogwarts.  
  
Closing her eyes, she tried to push away all the thoughts about that night. She curled herself up into a tighter ball and prayed for sleep.  
  
***  
  
“If I was less hungover, I would yell at you, Jacobs," Fiona declared the next morning as she entered the dormitory. Dorothy looked up from her tie that she was attempting to knot and raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Potion's under the sink," Hope said, not even bothering to look at her best friend.  
  
Fiona made her way to the bathroom, loudly rummaging through the cabinet and complaining about the loudness of the noise that she was making until she pulled out a small vial. "We need to get more of this," she muttered, tossing it back. She pulled a face and jumped around a bit, obviously disliking the flavor. "Still tastes like fish wearing sweat socks," she groaned.  
  
"Don't care," Hope said sweetly. "Now, why are you yelling at me?"  
  
"Ah! Right," Fiona said, pulling off her party dress as she made her way over to her closet to pull on her school uniform. "Not only did you abandon me in Gryffindor Tower, but I woke up in bed with Albus Potter! Really?!"  
  
"Dorothy said that he wouldn't care you were in his bed," Hope said.  
  
"Well, did she mention that he would just decide to climb in with me?"  
  
Dorothy snorted. "He got in bed with you?"  
  
"Yes!" Fiona cried. "Said he was tired or some shit. I told him that he couldn't just climb into bed with people, and he had the audacity to tell me that it was his bed and he’d do whatever the bloody hell he liked!"  
  
Hope was trying to reel in her hysterics as Fiona exclaimed, "He tried to cuddle with me, and then told me I wasn't his type! What the hell?!"  
  
"He only likes red heads," Dorothy explained.  
  
"Ha! Suck it, slag!" Hope exclaimed in excitement.  
  
"Some Potter thing," Dorothy continued.  
  
"What, did James miss that gene or something?" Fiona snapped, tossing the strapless bra she'd donned for the party over her shoulder and adjusting the new one before turning around. "I haven't seen him with a real ginger yet."  
  
"Oh, speaking of James," Hope started. "Dorothy has something to tell you."  
  
"Bloody hell," she cursed, throwing herself back on her bed and burying her face in the pillow. "You suck."  
  
***  
  
"Oi, home wrecker," Fiona said with a cheeky grin. "Eat something, would you? You're just playing with your eggs."  
  
Reluctantly, Dorothy took a large spoonful of eggs and shoved them down her throat, pleasing both Hope and Fiona. But Dorothy wasn't hungry. She was so uncontrollably nervous. Her eyes kept darting to the doors of the Great Hall, waiting for one of them to walk into breakfast.  
  
"Dora, are you alright?" Hope asked.  
  
"Peachy," she responded distractedly.  
  
"Dora, stop thinking about it," Hope said with a sigh. "Just...just lie back and think of England."  
  
Dorothy's attention snapped back to her friends across from her. "What?"  
  
"Oh, Merlin, she's here," Fiona said quickly, immediately looking down and shoveling food into her mouth.  
  
"Circe, why the hell do I even hang out with you?" Hope snapped, slapping Fiona's hand. "Take a moment to breathe, would you?"  
  
"I'm a nervous eater!" she said defensively.  
  
"No, you're just an eater."  
  
Dorothy's eyes hadn't left the table since Fiona announced Jen's arrival into the Great Hall. Her heart was pounding a mile a minute, knowing Jen was coming straight towards her.  
  
"Thee?" Jen said from behind Dorothy, her voice concise and cutting.  
  
Dorothy looked up and turned to Jen, biting her lip. She stood up off the bench and said, "Hey, Jen. I think we should talk. I am so sorry about last night—"  
  
"I don't really want to talk with you, Thee," Jen snapped. "I heard quite enough from James."  
  
Dorothy's eye widened. "Oh."  
  
"Yeah," Jen said, bitterness and anger biting in her tone. " _Oh._ Oh, sweet little Thee Longbottom is just trying to help her friend fix things with his girlfriend. Oh, silly little Thee Longbottom is just having a summer romance while he's trying to fix things with his girlfriend. Oh, stupid little Thee Longbottom can't keep her filthy hands off of him now that he's fixed things with his girlfriend. Oh, slaggy little Thee Longbottom doesn't give a shit that he has a girlfriend! Thank you for helping me get back together with such an upstanding bloke, Thee! I really appreciate the well wishes when I _know_ you only wanted him for yourself!"  
  
"I'm sorry!" Dorothy cried over Jen's gradually increasing volume. "I'm sorry, I made a mistake! I let my emotions blind my judgment and I hurt you and I'm so, so sorry, Jen."  
  
Jen didn't even flinch. "You should be sorry, Longbottom. You're just a slaggy little tart. I hope everyone else can see it."  
  
Dorothy nodded and sat back down on the bench to finish her breakfast. Hope and Fiona shot her reassuring smiles, trying to tell her she’d handled the situation as well as she could have on her own, something both Hope and Fiona believed she had to do.  
  
Fiona's eyes widened as Jen said, "Oh, one more thing, Thee?" Dorothy looked up just in time to see Jen pour the large pitcher of iced orange juice over her head. "Stay the hell away from me."  
  
Dorothy was frozen in her seat. Orange juice dripped down her head and onto her soaking uniform, turning the white Oxford shirt slightly transparent. Hot tears began to spill from her eyes as Hope and Fiona jumped up from the table to get her out of there.  
  
"She said she was sorry," Fiona spat at Jen. "What more do you want?"  
  
"For her to learn her lesson," Jen responded, making her way over to the Ravenclaw table.  
  
"Let's get out of here," Hope said quickly, leaping over top of the breakfast table and leading Dorothy out of the hall. Fiona looked after her best friend who had literally just stepped on the table top, shrugged her shoulders, and followed her path to get to Dorothy's side of the table. She ran to catch up to Hope and Dorothy as they pushed through the doors of the Great Hall.  
  
"Hey, ladies," Freddie said with a grin as he saw them enter the corridor. "Where are you going? Breakfast just started." He got closer to the three of them and laid eyes on Dorothy. "Whoa, Dor...what happened?"  
  
Dorothy looked up at him and glared. "Where the _hell_ have you been?!"  
  
"What?" he asked, taken aback.  
  
"I have needed you very desperately in the past twelve hours!" she snapped, tears pouring down her face. "But you were probably busy with some bird. Wouldn't want to fuck that up too, right?" Freddie stared blankly at her, unable to respond, but Dorothy just continued. "But hey, next time you're looking for a slag, you've got one right here."  
  
"Dor, what the hell are you going on about?"  
  
"Why don't you ask James?" she shot back. "Or, better yet, go to the source of my new _citrus_ wash, Jen Brady!"  
  
Dorothy then tore down the corridor to the set of stairs leading down to the Hufflepuff Common Room, Fiona tight on her heels.  
  
Freddie looked to Hope for some sort of explanation. "You guys could use a chat," was all she said before hurrying after her friends.  
  
***  
  
"You can't blame Fred," Hope said as the girls entered their dormitory.  
  
"I know," Dorothy lamented, trying to undo the buttons of her sticky shirt. "But I don't really give a shit right now."  
  
"I know," Hope said calmly. "But it looked like you really upset him."  
  
"Well, he really upset me!" Dorothy snapped, groaning in exasperation as her buttons remained closed through all of her tampering. "And this damn shirt won't come off!"  
  
Fiona picked up her wand and vanished the offending article, leaving Dorothy standing before them, crying, just in her skirt and bra.  
  
"I've never heard you curse this much before," Fiona commented.  
  
"Well, no one has ever dumped orange juice on my head before," she said, grabbing a tissue and blowing her nose. "And now I'm crying again because I'm frustrated and sticky--"  
  
"Go hop in the shower, hon," Fiona said. "You won't be sticky anymore, and you won't be able to tell if you're crying or if it’s just the water. It's what I do when I'm really upset."  
  
Dorothy nodded, mumbling apologies for her behavior as she went into the bathroom. Fiona and Hope shared a concerned look and then went to sit on Hope's bed to wait.  
  
***  
  
"What the bloody hell is that noise?" Tabitha growled from her bunk.  
  
"Dora, I swear to Merlin, if that damn journal goes off one more time, I'm burning it," Hope threatened.  
  
"I'm not opening it!" Dorothy declared. "I don't want to talk to him!"  
  
Fiona leapt out of her four poster and stalked over to Dorothy's bed, growling. "I don't give two shits what _you_ want to do," she snarled. "That bloody book has been going off for over an hour now, and I've got an exam at nine o'clock tomorrow morning. I will maim you."  
  
"Thank Merlin," Tabitha mumbled.  
  
"Get out, Bruce," Fiona snapped.  
  
"Fine," Dorothy said, lighting her wand wordlessly and pulling the book from her bedside table. "Go to sleep." She flicked her wand, closing her bed curtains to block the light from her wand.  
  
 _Dor?_  
  
 _Dorothy?_  
  
 _Please wake up._  
  
 _I'll keep doing this._  
  
 _Fiona will wake you._  
  
 _Bloody hell, just hear me out, will you?_  
  
 _I'd like to have a conversation, you crazy bint._  
  
 _I know you're ignoring me._  
  
 _Merlin's beard, you're obnoxious._  
  
 _You were the one who walked in on me, you know. That was a very private moment._  
  
 _Circe, Dor._  
  
 _I didn't mean what I said, you know I love you. I was drunk. I know they say ‘drunk actions are sober thoughts,’ but I was just irked because you were watching me have a shag._  
  
 _You saw my bare arse._  
  
 _Come on, Dor._  
  
 _You're a real pain in the arse, woman._  
  
 _You're not a slag, Dor. James said he's going to talk to Jen. She was way out of line._  
  
 _Merlin, woman, what do you want from me?_  
  
Dorothy bit her lip, unsure whether or not to respond.  
  
 _I know you're reading this. There's no way your room mates would let the beeping go on._  
  
Sighing, she reached her hand out of the curtains and grabbed a quill and ink pot.  
  
 _She wasn't out of line. I deserved it._  
  
Dorothy watched the page, waiting for his response, something she knew would be coming soon.  
  
 _Hippogriff shit. No one deserves to have orange juice dumped on their head._  
  
 _I...Merlin, I'm not having this talk not face to face. I'm on my way._  
  
Dorothy closed the ink pot and tossed it and the quill in the drawer. Flipping her braid over her shoulder, Dorothy pulled back her curtains and placed her feet on the warmed stone floor. She smiled slightly. That was one thing she loved about Hufflepuff. It was never cold.  
  
She turned back to grab her journal to see Freddie had replied.  
  
 _Bring ice cream._  
  
***  
  
 _Crack!_ Dorothy let go of Winky's small hand as she attempted to regain her balance in front of the Fat Lady's portrait.  
  
"Thanks, Winky," Dorothy said. "I really appreciate the lift."  
  
"Winky is happy to help, Miss Thee," the elf whistled pleasantly. "She hopes the Miss feels better!"  
  
Dorothy smiled weakly at Winky, who Disapparated with another loud crack.  
  
Dorothy turned to the sleeping Fat Lady and knocked on the bottom of her frame. "Um, ma'am?"  
  
The Fat Lady groaned, her eyes fluttering slowly open. "What do you want at this unholy hour, Miss Longbottom? If I recall correctly, you are not in my house."  
  
"I know, and I'm really sorry. _Novum inde?_ "  
  
The Fat Lady grumbled, "If you must," and swung open. Dorothy scrambled inside, unsure if Freddie would be waiting in the common room for her. He wasn't and she scurried to the staircase, frowning as her bare feet froze against the icy floor.  
  
 _Damn Gryffindors_ , she thought to herself as she climbed the stone steps to the seventh year boys's dormitory.  
  
Quietly, she snuck over to Freddie's bunk and pulled back the curtain to see him lounging lazily against the headboard skimming a Wheezes catalogue.  
  
"Don't you have that memorized by now?" she asked.  
  
"Course I do," he said smiling. "Doesn't matter. Come on over, I promise the sheets are clean."  
  
Dorothy clambered onto his bed, chucking the tub of ice cream at him to open. "How'd you get here so fast?" he asked, ripping the top off.  
  
"Winky gave me a lift," she responded, dipping her spoon into the ice cream.  
  
"That's just not fair," he whined, taking Dorothy's spoon from her hand and taking a scoop for himself.  
  
"Arse," she muttered as she pulled out a second spoon.  
  
"So why do you think you deserve orange juice on your head?" Freddie asked.  
  
"I snogged her boyfriend, Fred. I would take orange juice every day if I could take that back."  
  
Freddie growled a little bit, taking a violent spoonful of ice cream. "You and James are just trouble," he said, mouth full of ice cream.  
  
"There is no ‘me and James,’" Dorothy said. "It shouldn't have happened. And it won't again."  
  
"So you're telling me you have no feelings whatsoever for James?" Freddie asked.  
  
"None that I'm aware of," Dorothy responded. "What about you? I wasn't the only slag at Rox's party."  
  
"You walked in on me," he said defensively.  
  
"I didn't know where you were!" Dorothy shot back. "I hadn't seen you in ages; I wasn't expecting to see you, well...doing that!"  
  
"I don't need your permission to have sex, Dor."  
  
"I know," she said in a huff. "But still. What did you mean that I ruin things for you?"  
  
Freddie looked her, eyes pained. "Dor, I didn't mean that. I...I don't know what the hell was running through my head."  
  
"You've never yelled at me like that."  
  
Freddie grabbed Dorothy's hand and squeezed. "I'm sorry, Dorothy. I don't know what else I can say."  
  
"I know," she said. "Me too. Can we just eat our ice cream and be happy again? I have a lot of unhappiness in my future, I'd like to be happy and forget with you."  
  
Freddie pressed a kiss to her temple. “Sounds good to me.”


	12. I Just Want to Move On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I just don’t want to get yelled at again, because then Hope wakes up and then the two of them plot against me and cut holes in my socks.”

“Do you need to talk, Thee?”  
  
Dorothy looked up into her father’s eyes, horror settling in. “Oh, Merlin.”  
  
Neville stood nervously, shuffling papers on his desk. “Now, I know your mum gave you the, uh, the _talk_ a few years ago—”  
  
“Dad,” Dorothy interjected. “Please. Please, just _stop_.”  
  
Neville couldn’t bear to make eye contact with his daughter. “I just want you to know that you can talk to me about anything.” He paused momentarily. “Including boys.”  
  
“Dad!” Dorothy cried.  
  
Neville sat back down into his chair. “I’m here for you, Thee. And I want you to be able to come to me. And I know quite a bit about seventeen year old boys. And if I need to write a letter to Harry because his boy is bothering you, I will—”  
  
Dorothy squeaked. “What?” she yelped, jumping from her chair. “What have you heard?”  
  
Neville flushed. “Nothing,” he said too quickly. “Just that you were involved in a bit of conflict with James Potter and Jennifer Brady a couple weeks ago. Conflict of the heart.”  
  
“Bloody hell,” Dorothy muttered, slumping back into her seat. “Dad, I appreciate your concern, but I swear that there is nothing to worry about.”  
  
Neville stared at his daughter, mentally debating whether she was telling the truth. “I _was_ an Auror, Thee. I can tell if you’re lying to me.”  
  
“I’m not,” Dorothy said quickly. She chuckled at her father’s skeptical expression. “I promise, Dad. If there was something really bothering me, I’d tell you.”  
  
“You would?” Neville asked.  
  
Dorothy blushed. “Well, yeah. Probably.”  
  
Neville smiled and leaned back. “Oh. Well then. Good.”  
  
“So, can we be done with this conversation now? We’re supposed to be eating lunch together, not in interrogation about my love life.”  
  
Neville nodded, smiling softly. “Of course. So, what else has been going on with you?”  
  
She took a large bite of her turkey sandwich and shrugged. “There’s a match against Gryffindor coming up. Have you decided who you’re rooting for yet?”  
  
He laughed. “I’ll be cheering for you, Thee.” Dorothy smiled. “But I’ll still be wearing scarlet,” he finished. Dorothy scowled and tossed a chip at his face. “Oi, you,” he scolded, popping it into his mouth.  
  
“Call yourself my father, yet won’t even cheer on my team. That’s low,” she teased.  
  
“I’m loyal.”  
  
“Mhmm,” she said. “If that makes you feel better.”  
  
“You’re against Ravenclaw first, leave me alone.” Dorothy snickered at her father’s puppy dog expression. Neville sighed and tore a piece of his own sandwich off and tossed it into his mouth. “Anything else exciting going on? How’re your lessons?”  
  
“Fine,” Dorothy replied. “I _am_ fourth in my class, Dad.”  
  
“And the lessons with Professor McGonagall?”  
  
“Brilliant,” Dorothy said beaming. “She’s contacted the Ministry to set up an appointment for my test.”  
  
“You still don’t know what your form will be?” he asked.  
  
“You know the rules, Dad,” she told him. “I can’t fully transform until my test. All I know is that I’m small from the size alignment phase.”  
  
Neville pulled a face of obvious displeasure and shrugged off his curiosity. “Course. Have you had your meeting with Finch-Fletchley yet?”  
  
“No,” she responded with a pout. “He’s pushed it to tonight, and I had to get Rox to cover my prefect duties.”  
  
“Well, make sure you get him to give you the application tonight. You want to owl it in as soon as possible.”  
  
“I sent him a note, asking him to have his portion filled out before our meeting even begins,” Dorothy said.  
  
Neville nodded. “Good. You’re sending it in right after your test, right?”  
  
“As long as I pass it,” Dorothy corrected.  
  
Neville smiled. “I have no doubt that you’ll pass it.”  
  
Dorothy bit her lip to hide her smile. “You have to say that. You’re my dad.”  
  
“I don’t remember reading a handbook…”  
  
“Just eat your sandwich.”  
  
***  
  
Dorothy lifted her hand to knock on Professor Finch-Fletchley’s door and hesitated, her heart racing. What if he thought she wasn’t qualified? Being an Auror was her dream. If he refused to give her a recommendation, she would have no idea where to go next.  
  
Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she knocked twice on the wooden door. “Come in,” a voice called.  
  
Dorothy opened the door to see Professor Finch-Fletchley behind his desk, reading glasses low on his nose. His feet were propped on his desk as he flipped through a large file Dorothy assumed to be her own.  
  
He peered over the top of his glasses and said, “Take a seat, Miss Longbottom.”  
  
Dorothy nodded and sat in the chair in front of her. His office was nothing like her father’s; there was no warmth or musky dampness or relaxing smell of plants growing in the corner by the window. Things were in order and not coated in a thin layer of topsoil. There were posters of Muggle musicians and actors on the stone walls next to book cases stuffed with Muggle books and toys that Dorothy didn’t fully understand.  
  
“So,” Professor Finch-Fletchley began. “You want to be an Auror.”  
  
Dorothy nodded. “Yes, sir.”  
  
He nodded, leaning back in his seat and removing his feet from his desk. “Well, you’ve certainly got the marks. OWLs look good; you’ve been working hard after that ‘Exceeds Expectations’ in Potions?”  
  
“Yes, sir,” Dorothy said. “I’ve been working tirelessly for the past two years to prepare myself for NEWTS this spring. Professor Patil believes that I will have no problem scoring an ‘Outstanding’ on the NEWT examination.”  
  
Professor Finch-Fletchley clicked his tongue softly, his eyes scanning the file before him. “And you’ve been taking private lessons with the Headmistress? What for?”  
  
Dorothy swallowed thickly. “As Transfiguration has always been my strongest subject, I felt that a good way to enhance my application to the Academy would be mastering the Animagus form.”  
  
Professor Finch-Fletchley’s head snapped up in surprise. “Really?”  
  
“Yes, sir.”  
  
“And how close are you to full transformation?” he asked.  
  
“Professor McGonagall has contacted the Ministry to schedule my examination. I should be a fully registered Animagus within a few weeks.”  
  
He grinned. “Well, that’s just brilliant.” Dorothy let out a breath she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding. “Just one more question I have for you,” he said, setting the file down on his desk.  
  
“Yes?” she asked, nervous energy once again exploding in her stomach.  
  
“Why is it that you want to be an Auror?”  
  
Dorothy blinked. How was she supposed to answer this question?  
  
“Take a moment to think, Miss Longbottom.”  
  
There were so many reasons, so many explanations. But to put into words something she had simply known her entire life seemed impossible. “I—,” she faltered slightly. “I want to help people. The way my father did.”  
  
“Go on,” Professor Finch-Fletchley urged.  
  
“I remember when I was a little girl reading and hearing so many stories of how your generation saved the Wizarding World. How my father looked Voldemort in the eye and told him he would never win. How even after the war, he went to the Academy with Harry and Ron to become Aurors, and continue to protect our world.” Dorothy paused momentarily. “It seems unjust for me not to do the same.”  
  
Professor Finch-Fletchley nodded, patting the file on his desk. “When I heard that you were interested in pursuing a career in the Auror Department, I was worried. I didn’t classify you as a witch who had the strength to handle such a demanding and dangerous life choice.” Dorothy felt the blood drain from her face. “But,” he continued, “I now can hand you the Academy application and my personal recommendation with confidence that you are making the correct decision.”  
  
Dorothy smiled. “Thank you so much, Professor.”  
  
“Have you considered also applying for the Hallows program?” he asked as he pulled the Academy application and his recommendation from his top desk drawer.  
  
“The two-year intensive?” Dorothy questioned. He nodded in confirmation, passing her another piece of parchment. Her eyes scanned the application for the prestigious program. “I’ve thought about it, more so as a dream. I never considered myself properly qualified to be accepted.”  
  
“Think about it, Miss Longbottom,” Professor Finch-Fletchley urged. “I think you may be surprised.”  
  
***  
  
“The Hallows?” Freddie said incredulously, looking up at her from the application. “You’re not serious.”  
  
Dorothy shrugged her shoulders, shoving a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth. “I dunno. Why not?”  
  
“Why not?” Freddie repeated. “Not only would you be gone for two years, which would be _horrible_ , but that program is incredibly dangerous! The majority of Aurors that die in the field are a part of the Hallows program.”  
  
“Of course they do, Hallows are assigned the most dangerous missions,” Dorothy said, snatching the application of out of his hands. “They’re the best of the best. And two years isn’t _that_ long.”  
  
“Two years is a bloody eternity!”  
  
Dorothy shook her head. “Well, okay. It is long. But it’s not like I would be completely out of contact. We’d have the journals and I can owl. Not to mention, there’s no chance that I’d ever be accepted. What’s the harm?”  
  
“My health?” Freddie said with a small chuckle. Dorothy rolled her eyes. “Okay, I’ll admit, it _is_ a great opportunity. I just can’t imagine two years without seeing you.”  
  
Dorothy leaned back against the refrigerator and laughed. “You’re sweet.”  
  
“Miss Thee, Winky would like to tell you and Mister Freddie that it is after midnight,” Winky squeaked.  
  
“It is?” Dorothy asked in surprise.  
  
Freddie checked his watch and nodded. “Damn,” he muttered.  
  
“Looks like you’re spending the night, Fred,” Dorothy said. “Thanks, Winky, I appreciate it.”  
  
Winky grinned. “Winky is happy to help the Miss.”  
  
Freddie stood, holding his hand out to her. Dorothy looked from his hand to the bowl of ice cream in her lap. “But my ice cream,” she whined.  
  
He rolled his eyes and said, “Bring it.” He grabbed her upper arm and hoisting her to her feet. She yelped, juggling the bowl in her hands. The spoon clattered to the floor.  
  
She shot him a glare. “Was that really necessary? My spoon is now dirty.”  
  
Freddie bent over and picked up his empty bowl and handed her his used spoon. “Use mine.”  
  
Dorothy scrunched up her face in dislike, but took the spoon from his hand. “We should go. I don’t want to wake up Fiona again. Our window of her consciousness is quickly closing.”  
  
Dorothy laughed, following him out of the kitchens. “She’s really not that bad.”  
  
“I like the girl fine,” Freddie said. “I just don’t want to get yelled at again, because then Hope wakes up and then the two of them plot against me and cut holes in my socks.”  
  
Dorothy let out a snort of laughter. “You’ll be fine.” They approached the barrels that were the entrance to the Hufflepuff Common Room, and Dorothy tapped out the rhythm, opening the passageway. “How am I supposed to crawl with my ice cream?” she moaned.  
  
Freddie smirked. “You’ll be fine,” he mocked, pushing her forwards.  
  
“You’re so mean to me,” Dorothy pouted. “And I’m letting you sleep with me.”  
  
“Sounds like your problem, not mine,” he teased. “Maybe you should have higher standards.”  
  
“Merlin!” Dorothy cried, laughed as they entered the round, warm common room. “Someone forgot their Anti-Prat pills today!”  
  
Freddie grinned and set her ice cream down on the arm of the sofa next to them. He wrapped his arms around Dorothy, pulling her into his chest. Dorothy’s arms wrapped under his arms and her hands gripped his shoulders. Her face rested on his chest, sighing as the familiarity of his heart beat filled her ears. She felt his lips against the top of her head and smiled. “I love you, Dor.”  
  
She squeezed him tighter. “I love you, too, Freddie.”  
  
Freddie pulled back, a sad smile on his face. “Let’s get to bed, yeah?”  
  
Dorothy looked at him, confused. “Oh,” she said. “Yeah, sure.”  
  
***  
  
Dorothy woke up the next morning to a bright flash. “Bloody hell,” she grumbled, stretching. “What was that?”  
  
“Fiona took a picture,” Freddie said softly, squeezing Dorothy’s shoulder.  
  
“I told her to,” Hope said, smiling as she brushed her shoulder length red hair. “You two look bloody adorable in the morning. It was about time we had a picture.”  
  
“And I really love my camera,” Fiona said happily, cradling the device like a baby. “I’ve been taking a bunch all morning.”  
  
Dorothy turned her head to see Freddie looking down at her and smiled. “How do you always wake up before me?”  
  
 _Flash._  
  
Freddie grinned. “It shows my dominance.”  
  
Dorothy snorted. “Of course it does.”  
  
“Can you two get up?” Hope said. “We’re almost ready to go to breakfast.”  
  
Dorothy groaned loudly as she rolled out of Freddie’s warm embrace. “This world is cold.”  
  
“Dora, you’re in Hufflepuff,” Hope said. “It’s never cold here.”  
  
“Semantics,” Dorothy huffed as she swung her legs out of bed and stood, stretching with a high pitched yawn. She turned her head back to Freddie, who was still lounging in her bed. “You coming, Mr. Dominant?”  
  
Freddie closed his eyes and sighed, stretching his arms out above his head. His thick muscles rippled with the action, and Dorothy, Hope, and Fiona found themselves studying the motion. “Yeah,” he said, as his body relaxed. He climbed out of bed clad in his usual sleepwear, boxers and his undershirt, and noticed all three girls were staring at him. He smirked and pulled the thin white shirt over his head, revealing his toned mocha chest. “Like what you see?” he said, laying a hand over his six pack abs.  
  
Fiona lifted her camera and took a picture. She smirked. “It lasts longer.”  
  
Laughing, Freddie tossed his shirt at her and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.  
  
“That’s a chest I’d like to lick chocolate off of,” Hope sighed.  
  
Dorothy shook her head, snapping out of it. “Merlin, stop,” she said. “One, his ego doesn’t need to be any bigger. Two, ew, it’s _Freddie_.”  
  
Fiona grinned. “You want a copy of the picture?”  
  
Dorothy glared. “No, I don’t.”  
  
“Hippogriff shit,” Fiona said, tossing Freddie’s shirt to Dorothy.  
  
***  
  
Dorothy was sitting on the bench in the Hufflepuff changing room, looking down at the pads in her lap. She took a deep breath, toying with the aged leather as Hope rattled out encouraging snippets. “Alright, Thee?” Greg asked.  
  
Dorothy looked up at the small, freckled boy and smiled. “Yeah, just pre-match jitters,” she said. She frowned slightly as she saw that the worried look on his face had not fallen. “Are _you_ alright, Greg?”  
  
The blonde boy nodded furiously. “Course!”  
  
“You’re allowed to be nervous, Greg,” Dorothy said.  
  
“I know,” Greg said. “But Marcus, Jesse, and me have got this down. Ravenclaw hasn’t got a chance.”  
  
“But?” Dorothy asked.  
  
Greg looked around to make sure no one else was in ear shot. “I’m nervous.”  
  
“You’ll be brilliant,” Dorothy said. “As soon as you get in the air, it’ll be like nothing can stop you.”  
  
Greg nodded. “Yeah, probably.”  
  
“Hey, squirt,” Fiona said as she came over to them and ruffled Greg’s hair. “Longbottom.”  
  
“Hi, Fi,” Greg said with a disgruntled smile as he attempted to straighten his hair. Dorothy smiled up at her.  
  
“Ready to go whoop some Ravenclaw arse?” Fiona said with a grin.  
  
“Absolutely,” Dorothy said, standing and pulling on her pads. “Is it time to go?”  
  
“Practically,” Fiona said. “Hope’s about to round everyone up for the—”  
  
“C _ampfire!_ ” Hope cried.  
  
“—campfire,” Fiona finished lamely.  
  
Dorothy and Greg chuckled, and then the three of them joined the rest of their team in the center of the changing room. All seven players sat on the ground in a circle. “Okay,” Hope said, taking a deep breath. “It’s time to come together as a team. We are practiced, precise, and passionate.”  
  
Hope looked up at each of her team mates and smiled at them. “I am so proud to have each and every one of you on this team. We are the comeback team. And that’s how we play. Despite everyone else’s doubts, we blow their expectations out of the water. I just want you guys to focus on your love of the game. Have fun.”  
  
“Let’s whoop some Ravenclaw arse!” Fiona said chuckling.  
  
“Let’s kick Gryffindor out of first place for the Cup,” Marcus said smirking.  
  
“Let’s give them a game they’ll never forget,” Dorothy said.  
  
“Alright!” Hope said, jumping to her feet. The rest of the team joined her. “Hands in!”  
  
“1…2…3…HUFFLEPUFF!”  
  
***  
  
 Jen Brady let out a loud grunt of exasperation as she bulleted the Quaffle at Dorothy, who blocked it with ease. This is how most of the game for Dorothy had gone. Jen, determined to score on Dorothy, had been firing wild and erratic shots that were as hard and fast as a Bludger.  
  
“Just drop it, Captain!” one of the Ravenclaw Chasers, Liam Davies, shouted. “Focus on the game!”  
  
“Fly, Davies,” Jen shot back, zooming off down the pitch after Greg, who was about to score.  
  
“Oi!” Jesse cried.  
  
Without even bothering to look, Greg tossed the Quaffle to his team mate, knowing he could see more than Greg could. Jesse scored easily, and the score rose to 90-0, Hufflepuff.  
  
Jen was visibly losing it. Taking the Quaffle from the Keeper, she shot down the pitch, ignoring every other player in the air but Dorothy. Firing her fifteenth shot of the match, Dorothy caught it as well. She let out a shriek of frustration, watching as Dorothy tossed the Quaffle to Marcus, and the Hufflepuffs started their way down the pitch again.  
  
“Felicity,” Jen demanded from her fifth year Beater. “Give me your bat.”  
  
“What?” Felicity asked, nervous from her Captain’s erratic behavior.  
  
“Just give it to me!” she shouted.  
  
Felicity quickly handed over the bat, and Jen flew to the closest Bludger and slammed it.  
  
“Oh, Merlin,” David Humble, the Quidditch announcer said, his voice tired of Jen’s antics. “Seems as though Ravenclaw Captain, Jen Brady, has taken Felicity Burrow’s bat and has— _Bloody hell!_ The usually calm and cool Jen Brady has…Oh, Merlin. That…that does _not_ look good. And it’s Madame Drummand with the whistle…Madame Whittle is on the pitch, followed closely by Professors McGonagall, Longbottom, and Gryffindor’s very own Fred Weasley…Circe, is she even breathing after that?”


	13. I Just Love Her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I don’t like how the other Gryffindor blokes are looking at you.”
> 
> “Oh, you mean the same way you look at Professor Patil?"
> 
> “Yes.”

_“Neville!” a voice called as the doors to the Leaky Cauldron burst open._  
  
 _Neville poked his head out of the kitchen where we was busy harassing his wife. “George?” he said in surprise. “What are you doing here?”_  
  
 _“To ask you and your beautiful wife for a huge favor,” he said, obviously out of breath. His dark red hair was standing on end from what the Longbottoms assumed was stress._  
  
 _Hannah left the kitchen with a smirk. “Sweet talker.”_  
  
 _George winked. “You know it, baker lady.”_  
  
 _“Oi, stop flirting with my wife and tell me what you need,” Neville joked._  
  
 _“So, Angie just started training camp again with the Tornadoes since Roxanne’s birth,” George began._  
  
 _“Yeah, we just had the party on Saturday,” Hannah said with a grin._  
  
 _“Right,” George said.”And do you remember how we talked about maybe a toddler watching schedule?”_  
  
 _Neville looked at his wife unsurely. “Maybe?”_  
  
 _George looked desperate. “I’m swamped at work. Left my assistant in charge of the shop. Got to hurry back. But Fred’s at that age where he sneaks away from the sitter and touches everything, and I’m sure he’ll end up hurting himself…is there any way he can stay here during the day this week? Just until Angie comes home?”_  
  
 _Hannah looked from George to her husband, who shrugged. “Thee’s not too much of a handful.”_  
  
 _“Is that a yes?”_  
  
 _Hannah smiled. “Anything for you, prankster.”_  
  
 _George beamed and planted a fat kiss on her cheek. “You’re a lifesaver,” George lamented. “He’s just outside, got distracted by the flowers. Boy’s bloody mental if you ask me.”_  
  
 _The three adults left the pub to find a chubby, two year old Fred Weasley sitting in the dirt, a pile of flowers between his legs. His hands and face were coated in a layer of mulch and he seemed to be dissecting a worm in his stubby fingers. “Freddie?” George asked, trying not to laugh._  
  
 _Fred looked up immediately, his sweet face breaking into a sparkling grin. “Daddy!” he squealed happily. He held up the gooey worm carcass. “Worm!”_  
  
 _George chuckled in defeat. “You’re right, buddy.” He squatted down in front of his son and lifted him to his feet. “Seems like that worm doesn’t want to play anymore, though. But you know who you are going to play with today?”_  
  
 _“Daddy?” Freddie guessed innocently as George cleaned him up with a simple spell._  
  
 _“No,” he replied. “You’ll play with Daddy later. Do you remember Thee Longbottom?”_  
  
 _Freddie scrunched his face up in deep concentration for a moment, and then shook his head. George laughed and scooped Fred up in his arms. “Well, you will after today. You’re going to stay with Uncle Neville and Aunt Hannah, okay? Will you be good for Daddy?”_  
  
 _Fred nodded resolutely and allowed his father to place him in Hannah’s arms. “Thanks again,” George said running a hand through his hair. “See you later, okay, Freddo?”_  
  
 _Freddie blew a raspberry at his father. “Love Daddy,” he said, smiling._  
  
 _George smiled and blew a raspberry back. “Love Freddie.”_  
  
 _George left the pub and Hannah looked at the little boy on her hip. “Well, Freddie, looks like it’s just us now, huh?” He smiled and nodded. Hannah grinned. “Let’s get you upstairs, yeah?”_  
  
 _Hannah opened the door to the room where Dorothy sat playing with her Quidditch figurines. “Hi, Mummy,” Dorothy said smiling._  
  
 _“Hi, baby,” Hannah replied, setting Freddie down. “Do you remember Freddie?”_  
  
 _“No,” she replied, already back to playing with her toys._  
  
 _“Well, he’s going to be spending the day with you for the week. Play nice, okay? I’ll come and get you for lunch soon.”_  
  
 _“Okay, Mummy,” Dorothy responded._  
  
 _Once Hannah left, Freddie toddled his way over to Dorothy. She was smaller than he was, and her long blond curls were pulled into pigtails. He wrapped his hand around one of them tugged._  
  
 _“OW!” she screeched. Her eyes watered. Freddie, obviously surprised, yelped at her reaction, his own eyes watering._  
  
 _“Sorry,” he whimpered._  
  
 _Dorothy looked at him, holding her pigtail tightly in her own hand. “S’okay.” She picked up one of her figurines and offered it to him. “Want to play?”_  
  
 _Freddie reached out and grabbed it, nodding._  
  
 _***_  
  
“What’s going on?” Freddie demanded, pacing back and forth at the end of the bed Dorothy was lying on. She was so pale, paler than usual. There was a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. No one would answer his questions.  
  
Madame Whittle was murmuring spells diligently beneath her breath, gold sparks falling from her wand and onto Dorothy’s unmoving body; coating her chest, all the way down to her hip. “Mr. Weasley, I need you to calm down,” she said in her high-pitched and squeaky voice, not looking up from her task.  
  
“Well, that’d be easier if I knew what was happening!” he shot back, approaching the bed. Madame Whittle did not respond. Neville said in a chair next to his daughter’s hospital bed, his face tight with restrained concern.  
  
“I am attempting to stabilize her,” Madame Whittle said. “Something done much easier without interruption. I will have you wait outside if you cannot contain yourself.”  
  
Freddie frowned, displeased. He stared down at his best friend, his heart pounding in his chest. The gold sparks suddenly stopped pouring from Madame Whittle’s wand. Freddie tensed in panic as Madame Whittle frantically waved her wand, spells exploding from her lips.  
  
“What’s happening?!” Freddie demanded. He felt tears pressing against his eyes and pressure building up in his temples. “What’s going on?!”  
  
“She’s stopped responding,” Madame Whittle said, flourishing her wand over Dorothy’s body. “I need you to back up.”  
  
“What do you mean she’s stopped responding?!” Freddie cried, the pressure in his temples becoming unbearable. “You have to save her! She has to be okay!”  
  
“Fred,” Neville said firmly. “You need to calm down.”  
  
“How am I supposed to calm down?!” he shouted. “She’s _dying!_ She can’t die!”  
  
Tears escaped his eyes, and before he could contain them, Freddie was sobbing. An empty bed in the far corner of the wing was suddenly engulfed in angry flames.  
  
“Get him out of here, Neville,” Madame Whittle instructed.  
  
“ _No!_ ” Freddie cried, fighting as Neville pulled him from the wing, taking him into the corridor.  
  
“I promise that as soon as she is stabilized you can come back inside, alright, Freddie?” Neville said. “You’re too unstable yourself. You could accidentally hurt her.”  
  
“Please,” Freddie begged. “She has to be okay, Uncle Nev.”  
  
 _***_  
  
 _“Where’s Freddie?” Dorothy asked, looking up from her coloring page. She was seated on top of the bar as her parents worked on setting up the rest of the pub._  
  
 _“He’s with his Mummy,” Hannah said. “He’s not coming over today.”_  
  
 _Dorothy’s eyes filled with tears. “But…Freddie…” she said, her voice shaking._  
  
 _Neville’s eyes widened. It broke his heart when his baby cried. “Thee, honey, it’s okay.” He hurried over to her and wiped at the liquid beneath her eyes._  
  
 _“I wanna play with Freddie!” she sobbed._  
  
 _Hannah had also dropped the chair she’d been unstacking and hurried to her daughter. “Nev, go talk to George , would you?”_  
  
 _Neville Apparated straight into George’s office. “Well, hello, mate. Please, come in,” George said cheekily._  
  
 _“My daughter is currently sobbing because Freddie isn’t coming over today.”_  
  
 _At that exact moment, Angie burst into George’s office. “Fred is throwing a tissy because he’s not going over to play with Thee today. I’m about to maim you.” She paused and looked at Neville. “Hello, Neville.”_  
  
 _He smiled at her. “Angie. Seems like you’re having a very similar problem to me. Dorothy is devastated Freddie’s not coming to play.”_  
  
 _George smiled. “Seems like they made friends.”_  
  
 _“Well, the two of them can’t spend every waking moment with each other,” Angie snapped._  
  
 _“And why not?” George asked. “We live on the same street. We’ll take Thee on some days, and send Freddie to the Leaky on others. Make it work with our schedules, keeps our kids happy.”_  
  
 _Neville thought a moment. “We are expecting a large check-in later today.”_  
  
 _“And our day’s been slow,” George said. “Bring Thee over. They can play here. We’ll come to the Leaky for dinner and work out a schedule.”_  
  
 _Neville Apparated away and Angie walked around her husband’s desk to kiss the top of his head. “They’ll be inseparable, won’t they?”_  
  
 _***_  
  
“What the hell are you doing out here?” Fiona cried as she and Hope skidded to a stop in front of the Hospital Wing.  
  
“How is she?” Hope demanded. “What’s going on?”  
  
“She’s not stable yet,” Freddie growled through his teeth.  
  
Fiona’s face paled. “Merlin.”  
  
“Why are you out here rather than inside?” Hope asked.  
  
Freddie, who had picked up his pacing once he’d managed to restrain his sobs enough to see straight, shrugged his shoulders. “I was emotionally unstable.”  
  
“Emotionally unstable?” Fiona asked.  
  
“I may have set a hospital bed on fire.”  
  
Fiona couldn’t help but chuckle. “At least there’s a good reason,” Hope said after a moment.  
  
“Neville said he’d come get me as soon as she was stable,” Freddie murmured. “Why hasn’t he come out yet? Why isn’t she stable?” he asked himself, feeling the tears coming back on.  
  
“We won the match,” Hope said. “Jen left with McGonagall right after you left with Whittle. Drummand made us finish.”  
  
“They say Jen might be charged,” Fiona said. “She’s not going to be playing Quidditch anymore, though, that’s for sure.”  
  
Rage boiled in the pit of Freddie’s stomach at the mere thought of Jen Brady. With a strangled roar, he turned and slammed his fist into the wall. He choked out a sob, letting his forehead fall against the cold stone. His shoulders shook violently as he drew in a ragged breath, exploding with painful, bellowing cries that echoed throughout the hall.  
  
Hope and Fiona were immediately at his sides, holding him up. “She’s going to be okay, Freddie,” Fiona whispered strongly. “She’s a fighter.”  
  
“She wasn’t responsive,” he managed, his body shaking ferociously. The tapestry behind them erupted into flames. “What if she dies?”  
  
 _***_  
  
 _Hannah sat with Angie and Ginny in the kitchen of the Burrow after the Easter brunch. “I can’t believe James is playing with Thee,” Ginny said, taking a sip of her tea. “He’s been on this ‘Anti-Girls’ kick for almost four months. Won’t even go near Lily. Swears she’s got cooties, or some rubbish. Poor girls only two years old.”_  
  
 _“It’s Freddie,” Angie said. “Won’t do anything without Dorothy beside him.”_  
  
 _“Freddie’s great for her,” Hannah said. “She’s the shyest girl; he really brings her out of her shell.”_  
  
 _“I’m just glad James isn’t trying to cleanse her with his magical ability,” Ginny joked. “Did I tell you? He’s been showing.”_  
  
 _Angie and Hannah grinned. “That’s wonderful,” Hannah said._  
  
 _“How’d it happen?” Angie asked._  
  
 _“Flew across the house the other day when I told him he couldn’t go out on his toy broomstick in the storm,” Ginny said. “Thought he was on it at first, almost exploded. Then Harry told me to look closer. Pretty sure the bloke cried; you know how he gets with the ‘proud father’ stuff. It’s sweet, really.”_  
  
 _“That’s brilliant,” Angie said, laughing. “I’m sure when Freddie shows, something’ll explode and George will turn it into product.”_  
  
 _Hannah and Ginny laughed. “No clue when Thee’ll show. Neville was so late, she might be as well.”_  
  
 _“Oh, you never know,” Angie said._  
  
 _“So, have you two started a pool yet?” Ginny asked coyly._  
  
 _“A pool?” Hannah asked. “For what?”_  
  
 _“For when Dorothy and Freddie will start dating!” Ginny exclaimed. “Honestly, Hannah, it’s obvious the two will end up married.”_  
  
 _The women peered out the window to see James running from Freddie who was lugging Dorothy around on his back, all three of them screaming.”They’re a pair, alright,” Hannah said thoughtfully._  
  
 _“At least I like the family,” Angie joked. She stood from the table and rummaged through one of her mother in laws cabinets, pulling out a bottle of wine and three glasses. “Let’s toast to their future happiness.”_  
  
 _Hannah laughed and accepted the wine. “To our children’s future together,” she joked._  
  
 _“To one hell of a Weasley-Longbottom wedding,” Angie added._  
  
 _“To the wedding day being the day after their graduation!” Ginny declared. Laughing, the three women toasted._  
  
 _***_  
  
“How is she?” James shouted once the Hospital Wing was in sight. He had sprinted faster than he ever had before, desperate for information.  
  
Freddie’s head snapped up from the cradle of his arms and quickly stood from his seat against the wall. “What are you doing here?”  
  
“Dorothy,” James wheezed, concern evident on his face. “I came as soon as I heard.”  
  
“You weren’t at the match?” Fiona asked.  
  
James looked over at her, and shook his head. “Didn’t think it’d be appropriate.”  
  
“But it’s appropriate for you to be here?” Freddie snapped.  
  
“Like it or not, Fred, she’s my friend, too!” James shot back. “We may not be as close as the two of you are, but we’ve been friends for almost as long!”  
  
“Well, you haven’t been acting like much of a friend lately!”  
  
“What do you want from me?!” James demanded. “I’m sorry that I’m confused! We’re not all emotionally cut-off like you, Fred!”  
  
“Oi!” Hope shouted, getting between the two boys who had slowly been closing the distance between them. “Is this really the time or place for this?”  
  
Suddenly, the door to the Hospital Wing opened. Freddie whirled around, watching as Neville appeared, his face tired. “She’s sleeping. Madame Whittle says she’ll probably be out for a few days, but there should be no permanent damage except for a scar on her side.”  
  
“She’s okay?” Freddie breathed, disbelief evident in his voice.  
  
Neville took a deep breath and nodded. “Yes. She’s okay.”  
  
Tears began once again streaming down Freddie’s face. “Can I…can I go back inside now?”  
  
 _***_  
  
 _“Mum!” Dorothy shouted. “Just because I’m growing breasts doesn’t mean Freddie shouldn’t be allowed to spend the night! He’s my best mate; we’ve been sleeping in the same room since we were toddlers!”_  
  
 _Neville’s head hit the table at the mention of his daughter’s breasts. “For Merlin’s sake, you’re nine years old, you’re not ‘growing breasts’ yet!” Hannah shot back._  
  
 _“Father in the room,” Neville managed weakly._  
  
 _“Mum,” Dorothy begged. “Please?”_  
  
 _Hannah sighed. “Only because it’s Freddie.”_  
  
 _Freddie’s head popped out from the kitchen. “Brilliant. Thanks, Aunt Hannah.”_  
  
 _Hannah shot her daughter a glare. “You,” she threatened._  
  
 _Dorothy quickly pecked her mother on the cheek. “I love you, Mum!” She turned to Freddie. “Go, before she changes her mind!”_  
  
 _Hannah rolled her eyes and turned to her husband, who looked up at her wearily from his seat at a table. “What are we going to do with those two?”_  
  
 _“Pray they don’t take over the world,” Neville said, scooting his chair back far enough for his wife to sit on his lap. He pecked her lips. “Oh, and can we keep the breasts conversations between the two of you? She’s my little girl who thinks boys have cooties and doesn’t have those.”_  
  
 _Hannah laughed and pecked his lips again. “Oh, honey. You’re in for a real surprise if that’s how you think you can get through raising a teenage girl.”_  
  
 _***_  
  
Freddie pulled up a chair on the left side of Dorothy, grasping her hand in his. It was warm. Her skin was still pale, but it no longer looked to be grey. He brought her hand to his lips and squeezed his eyes shut, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand. “Thank Merlin you’re alive,” he whispered.  
  
James stood farther back; not wanting to intrude on his cousin’s deserved time with Dorothy. Hope stood near him, trying to restrain her own tears of relief. “So, what exactly happened?”  
  
Hope looked over at him in surprise as if she’d forgotten he was standing there. “Huh?”  
  
“What happened?” James repeated. “All I got was that Jen hit her with a Bludger and it was bad. I didn’t stick around for the story.”  
  
Hope nodded. “Oh. Of course.” She took a breath and wiped at her eyes, studying the ground as she began to speak. “So, Jen had been off her game the entire match. Let her emotions cloud her judgment. After Dorothy blocked Jen’s fifteenth shot, Jen took Burrow’s bat and slammed a Bludger at Dorothy. I doubt she meant to hurt her as bad as she did, but it was obvious that Jen wanted Dorothy out of the game.”  
  
James nodded, and Hope continued, still refusing to look at him. “The Bludger made contact in the center of Dorothy’s chest. She was thrown off her broom and through the center hoop, then hit the ground.”  
  
“Why didn’t someone cast _Arresto Momentum_ or something?” James asked. “Slow her down.”  
  
“No one expected the Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain to take a Beater’s bat and take out the Keeper,” Hope said. “By the time people realized what was happening, she was on the ground.” Hope paused, looking up from the floor and at James. “Right after she did it, Jen dropped the bat like it was on fire. Looked like she was about to puke. Like she couldn’t believe what she had just done.”  
  
James looked over at Dorothy’s unnaturally still body, studying the subtle rising and falling of her chest and the shaking of his cousin’s hand as Freddie reached out to tuck a loose strand of blond hair behind Dorothy’s ear. “Yeah,” he said softly.  
  
 _***_  
  
 _A warm, blue light illuminated the inside of the blanket fort Freddie and Dorothy were sitting in early in the morning of September first. Dorothy was clutching the stuffed bear her father had given her a few years ago as she gnawed on her bottom lip. “What if we’re not in the same House?”_  
  
 _Freddie looked over at his best friend, the same fear written all across his face. “We’ll be okay, Dor. Right?”_  
  
 _“But if we’re not in the same House, we won’t be able to have sleepovers and we won’t have all our lessons together and what if we don’t talk and make new friends,” Dorothy rambled._  
  
 _“Dor,” Freddie said quickly. “We’re best friends forever, no matter what. We’ll eat meals together and sit together in lessons and even have sleepovers. If we’re not in the same House, it’ll be like we have two Common Rooms. We have those journals from your dad.  And it’s okay if we make new friends. No one will ever be us.”_  
  
 _“Really?” Dorothy said._  
  
 _“Course,” Freddie said with a smile. “Unless you’re in Slytherin. Then you’re on your own.”_  
  
 _Dorothy gasped and grabbed a pillow, beating him with it. “That’s_ not _funny!”_  
  
 _***_  
  
Freddie was asleep at Dorothy’s bedside, still holding her hand like a lifeline. A week had passed since the match, and he had not moved from his chair; the boy had fought viciously to stay by her side at all times. He looked to be uncomfortable, but Neville had left him slouching forward out of his chair after placing a blanket over his shoulders, knowing that he was emotionally exhausted enough that comfort didn’t matter.  
  
The clock struck one AM in the dark Hospital Wing, and the large wooden door creaked open. Nothing entered or exited, and the door quickly creaked shut. Suddenly, James Potter appeared on Dorothy’s right side as he placed his father’s Invisibility Cloak on the bed directly behind him.  
  
“Hey, Dorothy,” he whispered, trying not to wake Freddie. “Hope your day was good.”  
  
He sighed, grabbing her other hand. “You gave us all a big scare, Dorothy. I can’t imagine what I would’ve done if I never got the chance to tell you how I feel.” He took another deep breath and squeezed her hand. “But you gotta wake up so I can tell you, okay? You gotta wake up so Freddie can go take a shower rather than just cleaning himself with _Scougify_. You gotta wake up so Felicity Burrow can sleep again; she still blames herself. You gotta wake up so Hope and Fiona can smile and joke around again.” He paused, then finished: “You gotta wake up for me.”  
  
Letting go of her hand, James turned around and picked up the Invisibility Cloak, threw it over his body, and was gone.  
  
 _***_  
  
 _Thirteen year old Dorothy was sitting cross-legged on the top of her four-poster, leaning up against her headboard. Freddie sat at the other end, the thick, mustard colored hangings keeping the wand light from leaving the sanctuary of her bed. Between them sat a large carton of cookie dough ice cream. Freddie dipped his spoon back into the container, sucking the spoon hastily between his lips._  
  
 _“Um,” Dorothy pondered, balancing her spoon on the end of her nose. “If you had to snog a professor, who would it be?”_  
  
 _Freddie smirked. “Patil.”_  
  
 _Dorothy pulled a face. “Patil? She’s our parents’ age!”_  
  
 _“She’s bloody gorgeous,” Freddie said, the stupid grin on his face growing._  
  
 _Dorothy rolled her eyes, taking her spoon from her nose and scooping out a large chunk of ice cream. “Blokes. Bloody disgusting.”_  
  
 _Ignoring her, Freddie said, “We’ve got to do this ice cream thing more often. Brilliant idea.”_  
  
 _“I think Fiona was the one who taught me how to get into the kitchens,” Dorothy said thoughtfully. “Don’t remember. I spend more time with you than any of them anyway. Don’t think half of them know my name.”_  
  
 _“As long as they let me spend the night, who cares?” Freddie said with a laugh. “I don’t like how the other Gryffindor blokes are looking at you.”_  
  
 _“Oh, you mean the same way you look at Professor Patil?” she teased._  
  
 _Freddie frowned. “Yes.”_  
  
 _Dorothy cackled with laughter, taking another spoonful of ice cream. “I’ve got a meeting with Dominique tomorrow about Gryffindor Quidditch.”_  
  
 _“Has MacMillan decided to take his head out of his arse and listen to you yet?” Fred asked._  
  
 _“After this week’s match, he will,” Dorothy said moodily._  
  
 _“Bloody stupid,” Freddie muttered. “Oi! It’s my turn! You distracted me.”_  
  
 _Dorothy laughed. “Maybe you should be more focused.”_  
  
 _“You sound like Professor McCain telling me all about how I could test into NEWT Potions next year,” Freddie groaned._  
  
 _Dorothy laughed. “You’re ridiculous.”_  
  
 _“Anyway,” Freddie lamented. “Hmm. If you could snog any bloke at Hogwarts who would it be?”_  
  
 _Dorothy’s face turned a deep shade of red. “Well, uh,” she began shakily. “James seems to be pretty fit.”_  
  
 _Freddie gaped at her. “You fancy James?”_  
  
 _“Sod off!” she said, shoving ice cream into her mouth. “No need to tease me for it.”_  
  
 _Freddie had a strange look on his face. “No, it’s just…bizarre.”_  
  
 _“More bizarre than you having the hots for Professor Patil?”_  
  
 _Freddie looked up at her, that mystery emotion still obvious on his face. “Yeah, kind of.”_  
  
 _***_  
  
The door to the Hospital Wing closed silently and Dorothy’s eyes snapped open, her body jerking. She let out a gasp as pain burned across her chest and hip. She looked around her dark surroundings, recognizing the shapes to be the Hospital Wing. She felt a warm pressure on her left side and something wrapped around her left hand. Carefully, she turned her head slightly to see Freddie’s body slumped over the side of her bed, fast asleep.  
  
“Freddie?” she said softly.  
  
Freddie jerked awake at the sound of her voice. “Bloody—” His voice cut off as his eyes made contact with hers. “Dor?”  
  
She looked at him in confusion. “Yeah?”  
  
Tears filled his eyes as he laughed in relief. “Oh, Merlin, Dorothy!” he cried, throwing his arms around her shoulders and pulling her to his chest.  
  
Pain erupted across her chest again and she cried out. Freddie released her immediately, gently setting her back against her pillows. “Shit, sorry, Dor,” he said, cupping her face in his hands. “Bloody hell, I’m so glad you’re awake.” He leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead.  
  
“What are you talking about?” Dorothy asked. “What happened?”  
  
Freddie sat back in his chair, grabbing her hand tightly again. “You almost died on me, Dor.”


	14. I Just Can't Do This

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Positive. I'll catch you later?"
> 
> "Course. Probably going to go lay in your four poster until you'e done with James. I'm bloody exhausted, and yours is so much more comfortable than mine."
> 
> "Whatever you say, weirdo. Just don't fart while you're in there."
> 
> "Your bed loves my farts."
> 
> "You've obviously taken too many Bludgers to the head."

She just couldn’t believe that Jen Brady—perfect, wonderful, spectacular Jen Brady—had almost offed her. Sure, offing Dorothy hadn’t been the intent behind that Bludger, but it’d nearly been the result. She couldn’t wrap her mind around the fact that she’d almost died. Dorothy had always thought she’d have some moment of clarity while she pushed the edge of death; that her life would flash before her eyes and suddenly everything would make sense and everything would be explained, a small gift to repay for threatening to steal her life.  
  
But she’d had none of that. She didn’t even remember the match.  
  
It was early in the morning; the sun was just barely beginning to peek into the wing through the long, thin windows. After she’d woken up, Madame Whittle had checked how her ribs had set and scanned for internal bleeding. The bruising around her spinal cord and the swelling in her brain had both decreased, while her bones seemed to be good as new. However, Dorothy was still in an incredible amount of pain, and would be stuck with a long scar up the side of her body. They all said she was lucky to be alive.  
  
The door to Madame Whittle’s office opened, and Dorothy could see the relief on her father’s face. A pang of guilt struck her heart. She couldn’t imagine what it must’ve been like to watch her get so hurt.  
  
“How’re you feeling, Thee?” he asked, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. “Freddie in the bathroom?”  
  
“No, I sent him to Gryffindor Tower. He needs to get some rest in a proper bed rather than being all slumped over beside me,” Dorothy said. “He needed a shower as well,” she added. “But I’m feeling alright, as long as I don’t move too much.”  
  
“It’s almost time to give you another pain potion,” Madame Whittle chirped in her high-pitched and squeaky voice.  
  
“Can we, uh,” Neville began, looking at Madame Whittle. “Could we have a moment?”  
  
“Oh!” Madame Whittle exclaimed, bouncing slightly. She giggled. “Of course, Professor.”  
  
Madame Whittle bopped back to her office and Neville sat down in Freddie’s chair. “How are you really feeling, Thee?”  
  
“I’m tired of laying down, but it hurts too much to sit up.” Neville looked at his daughter, his gaze serious and unwavering. Dorothy sighed, knowing he could see the internal turmoil all over her face. “I’m confused. I don’t understand why she would risk everything to target me. I apologized. I let her dump orange juice on my head. I’ve kept a low profile. Why can’t she try to move on, too?”  
  
The doors to the Hospital Wing were thrown open, causing both Neville and Dorothy to jump. Running to Dorothy’s bedside was none other than Hannah Longbottom, the dark bags under her eyes a clear sign of how little sleep she’d been getting. “Oh, Merlin, you’re awake!” she exclaimed, wrapping her arms tightly around her daughter. “I should’ve been here!” She released her child, stroking Dorothy’s face lovingly and tucking wild strands of blonde hair behind her ears. “Ruddy pub,” she muttered darkly.  
  
“Hello, mum,” Dorothy said softly. “Freddie was here, don’t worry.”  
  
Hannah’s splotchy red face broke into a weepy smile. “Oh, I love that boy,” she murmured. “He’s so thoughtful.”  
  
Neville summoned another chair and placed it next to his own, ushering his wife into the seat. “Madame Whittle says the only permanent damage will be a scar down her side from where she made contact with the hoop,” he explained.  
  
Hannah nodded, squeezing her daughter’s hand. “That Jennifer Brady should be expelled. Putting another student in life-threatening danger; bloody insane, she must be,” Hannah growled.  
  
Dorothy didn’t say anything, tuning her parents out as they began discussing the situation in hushed tones. Dorothy allowed her head to turn against the pillows so she wasn’t even looking at them anymore; rather, she was studying the assortment of gifts that had been left on her right-hand bedside table.  
  
Flowers bloomed in a vase by the lantern, nearly hidden by a large stuffed animal that had a basket loaded with goodies wrapped up in its arms. A few cards were open and standing while the majority rested in a large pile on the corner of the table, threatening to topple to the floor at any second.  
  
Dorothy took in a deep breath and sighed, her heart pounding slowly in her chest. Her swirling thoughts were making her head pound, and she wished that she hadn’t sent Freddie away to take a nap. There was so much she didn’t understand, so much she wished would just go away. She wanted to go back to sleep, but she felt as though that wasn’t fair; she’d been sleeping for a week.  
  
The doors to the Hospital Wing opened again, followed by loud and heavy footfalls. “Dora!” Hope cried excitedly. Dorothy turned her head back towards the door to see Hope and Fiona skidding to a stop at the end of her bed. “You’re awake! Freddie told us, we came as soon as we could.”  
  
Dorothy felt a smile break over her face. Her eyes welled up with tears that she rapidly tried to blink away, and she said, “Oh, it’s nice to see you.”  
  
Fiona snorted. “Well, I’m glad it’s nice to see us, Longbottom; it’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Even through the teasing, Dorothy could see the concern ebbing away in Fiona’s eyes.  
  
“Oh, hello, Professor!” Hope said quickly. “And you must be Mrs. Longbottom, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Hope stuck out her hand towards Hannah, who shook it warmly. “I’m Hope, Hope Jacobs, and this is Fiona Little. We’re Dorothy’s best friends.”  
  
“Besides Freddie, that is,” Fiona said with a small laugh. “We’re in Hufflepuff as well, both on the Quidditch team.”  
  
“Ah,” Hannah said, looking at Dorothy with a smile. “Finally have friends in your own house?”  
  
Dorothy blushed violently, which caused Fiona to snort with laughter. “Yes,” she said quietly.  
  
Hope and Fiona pulled up chairs on the side of Dorothy’s bed not occupied by her parents and sat down. The group chatted amicably, but Dorothy couldn’t help tossing glances at the large wooden doors, waiting for James. Freddie had stayed by her side throughout the entirety of her ordeal, Hope and Fiona had come whenever possible, and even her parents had come whenever possible. Sure, she and James weren’t on the best of terms and he and Freddie were on even worse, but she thought that she and James were friends.  
  
She sighed, trying to blink away the tears forming in her eyes.  
  
“Oh, baby,” Hannah said, having heard her sigh. “Are you tired?” Dorothy turned her head to her mother, who saw the tears. “Oh, you must be in pain! I’ll go get Madam Whittle so she can get you another potion and we can all let you sleep.”  
  
Dorothy just nodded. She was in pain. Not all of it physical, but it all hurt as if it were.  
  
***  
  
Dorothy was sitting up in her hospital bed, flipping through the cards that had been left on her side table. There had been cards from almost every member of Hufflepuff, the Herbology club, the Dueling club, most of her professors, one with a seventeen and three-quarter page letter from Felicity Burrow about how she felt responsible and was going to resign from Quidditch, which Dorothy strongly disagreed with, and from every member of the Potter-Weasley clan.  
  
Well, almost.  
  
“Finally looking through all that fan mail?” Freddie teased as he returned to his seat beside her bed with a plate of food. “Stopped at the Great Hall, figured you’d be hungry by now.”  
  
Dorothy nodded quickly and took the plate from him, tearing into a chicken leg and cornbread. “Lily’s card sings,” she told him through a mouth full of food.  
  
Freddie nodded and picked up a few from Dorothy’s lap. “She’s obsessed with singing cards, ever since Uncle Harry took her to Muggle London and they went in some shop where they sold them. She and Granddad can’t get enough of them.”  
  
Dorothy snickered. “Oh, you missed one,” Freddie said, reaching down beneath her bed and pulling out a simple green envelope. Dorothy’s eyes widened, her heart swelling with hope.  
  
“I’ll, uh,” she began, placing the sealed envelope on her side table. “I’ll open it later. I’m starving.  I’ve been waiting for you to break into this basket.”  
  
“Ooh, Nana sent that,” Freddie cooed excitedly, reaching over Dorothy’s body to pull the basket between them.  
  
Dorothy grinned, trying to pull her distracted thoughts back from the card sitting on her side table. “Oh, good, I was hoping it was from her. Unwrap it, would you? I’m currently finishing my dinner so I can eat dessert.”  
  
***  
  
Dorothy looked around the Hospital Wing, her eyes lingering on Freddie’s sleeping body beside her. She was required to spend one more night in the Hospital before she could return to Hufflepuff and her lessons, and Freddie had once again refused to leave her side.  
  
She’d slept for a week. Her body was done sleeping. She hated the fact that she was laying down, it made her feel more incapacitated than she already was. Her head turned to her side table, and her eyes landed immediately on the unopened card Freddie had found earlier. Her heart rate picked up again as her breath caught in her throat.  
  
Quietly, she turned back to Freddie, attempting to decide if he was truly asleep or not. He was leaning forward onto the bed, a drop of drool threatening to drip from the corner of his mouth onto her mattress. He choked slightly on a snore, shifted slightly, and then was motionless again.  
  
Turning back to her bed side table, she reached out and picked up the green envelope with increased caution. Her heart was pounding so hard, she was afraid it would wake Freddie. Still, she slid her finger beneath the sealed parchment and opened the envelope. Carefully, she removed a sturdy card from the envelope. On the front was the moving image of a red rose petal floating to the ground and grow into a beautiful long-stemmed rose. She opened the card and read the familiar scrawled writing on the inside:  
  
 _She loves me. She loves me not. She loves me?_  
  
 _James_  
  
A single red rose petal was lying inside the card and Dorothy picked it up between two long fingers. It was smooth and soft. She set it inside the center of her palm, admiring the deep crimson against her pale skin when the petal began to transform. Glowing gold, the petal slowly grew into the most beautiful long-stemmed red rose she had ever seen.  
  
Dorothy’s breath was caught in her throat. She didn’t know what to think. What game was James playing?  
  
Nevertheless, she brought the fresh bloomed flower up to her nose and took a deep breath, allowing her eyes to slip closed. Rather than feeling calm and happy, Dorothy felt emotion bubbling up in her chest, threatening to spill out in the form of tears. Breath was hard to claim, and she set the rose on the side table with the card, wanting to forget about it.  
  
Not even twenty seconds passed before she placed the rose in the vase with the other flowers and she placed the card beneath her pillow.  
  
***  
  
“I have Madam Whittle’s orders, don’t tempt me to break them,” Hope said as Dorothy walked out onto the pitch.  
  
Dorothy looked at her, eyes wide. “What?”  
  
“Longbottom, you got out of the Hospital Wing this morning,” Fiona said.  
  
“No flying for at least three weeks,” Jesse reminded her.  
  
Greg smiled at her. “It’s nice to see you, Thee.”  
  
Dorothy smiled at him. “It’s nice to see you, too, Greg.” She looked at her other team mates and shot them a look. “It’s nice to see you guys.”  
  
Kyle grinned. “You look pretty good for being turned into the Quaffle a week ago.”  
  
Fiona growled. “25, Reed. Your arms are wimpy and your lip is irritating.”  
  
Kyle groaned audibly and Fiona cocked her thin right eyebrow threateningly. His eyes widened and he quickly dropped to the grass, performing his punishment meticulously.  
  
“I’m not here to fly,” Dorothy said. “Freddie already confiscated my broom anyway,” she mumbled bitterly.  
  
Kyle heard and snorted, a noise that was cut off sharply as Fiona snapped, “Add ten.”  
  
“The why are you here?” Marcus asked, ignoring the abuse Fiona was inflicting on Kyle.  
  
Hesitantly, Dorothy lifted the leather bound book in her hand. “Well,” she began. “I figured that even though I can’t fly, I could still be helpful towards the team. I haven’t taken notes objectively in a while, but,” her voice stopped as she shrugged her shoulders, calculating her next statement. “I don’t really know. I thought it’d be more helpful than sitting inside the castle.”  
  
Hope grinned. “Take a seat, Dora. Wherever you think you’ll get the best view.”  
  
***  
  
Dorothy had been only been out of the Hospital Wing for two days before the owls started arriving.  
  
Every morning with the post, an owl would fly over to her, drop an envelope, and leave. Sometimes, it would be carrying a dark, long-stemmed rose with it. Sometimes it was just the letter. Once, there were chocolates.  
  
“You don’t even like roses,” Freddie grumbled one day as Dorothy’s daily letter fell onto her breakfast plate with a red rose attached to it. “Over a week now, sending you roses. Everyone knows you like sunflowers the best. Bloody wanker.”  
  
Dorothy sighed and tucked the letter and flower into her satchel. “I’m going to talk to him about it,” she said.  
  
Freddie’s attention snapped to Dorothy. “But you said you didn’t have feelings for him anymore.”  
  
“I don’t,” she said. Freddie visibly relaxed. “I’m going to tell him to stop with the owls. I’m not getting involved with him again. I know I’ll just end up hurt in the end.”  
  
Freddie nodded. “Good.” He shoved a large part of his pancake in his mouth, then said, “You want me to go with you?” as syrupy crumbles flew out of his overstuffed cheeks.  
  
Dorothy snorted. “No, I’ll be fine.” Dorothy looked over at the doors to the Great Hall. “Wonder if Hope and Fiona are out of bed yet.”  
  
“It’s Saturday,” Freddie said, taking a gulp of orange juice. “Fiona doesn’t move until at least ten, and you’re lucky if Hope moves before noon.”  
  
Dorothy chuckled. “You’re right. I think I’m going to go find James now, you know…get it over with?”  
  
Freddie tensed. “Alright.” He took a calming breath. “You sure you don’t want me to come with you?”  
  
Dorothy smiled fondly. “Positive. I’ll catch you later?”  
  
Freddie nodded, stretching his arms over his head. “Course. Probably going to go lay in your four poster until you’re done with James. I’m bloody exhausted, and yours is so much more comfortable than mine.”  
  
Dorothy laughed, rolling her eyes at Freddie’s wink. “Whatever you say, weirdo. Just don’t fart while you’re in there.”  
  
“Your bed loves my farts.”  
  
“You’ve obviously taken one too many Bludgers to the head.”  
  
***  
  
Dorothy finally found James out in one of the courtyards, lazily charming a leaf to dance around in the air with his wand. Dorothy felt her heart pick up speed as she watched him lounging on a stone bench, looking as though he had no bothers in the world. Taking a deep breath, she managed to muster a quiet, “James?”  
  
James looked up, allowing his leaf to fall to the cobblestones in his distraction. A large grin spread across his face as he sat up. “Hello, Dorothy.”  
  
“Hi,” she said awkwardly, not stepping towards him. “I, uh, I need to talk to you.” Her hands began nervously toying with ends of her sweater sleeves, pulling on the warm wool knots.  
  
“I’m all ears,” he said, sliding over so there was enough room for her to sit beside him on the bench. “Come sit with me.”  
  
“No, I’m alright,” she said quickly, feeling her face begin to heat up.  
  
James laughed at her obvious discomfort. “Come on, Dorothy, we’re friends, aren’t we? Why are you so nervous?”  
  
“I don’t like roses,” she blurted out quickly.  
  
James’s playful face morphed into one of confusion. “What?”  
  
“You,” she began, trying to organize her thoughts in her brain. “You keep sending me roses. And love letters.”  
  
“But you don’t like roses?”  
  
“That’s not the point,” she said.  
  
James nodded. “Okay,” he said slowly. “Then what _is_ the point?”  
  
“Why are you sending them to me?” Dorothy asked.  
  
James smiled. “Haven’t you been reading the letters? I like you, Dorothy. A lot. I can’t stop thinking about you and your nervous habits and that adorable blush.”  
  
“But,” she said, not understanding. “But at the end of the summer, you loved Jen. I was just a second choice.”  
  
James stood and walked over to Dorothy. “The day picked Jen over you was the day I was the dumbest I have ever been in my life. And I’ve done some pretty stupid things.”  
  
Dorothy was finding it hard to breathe. “What?”  
  
“I was too stupid to realize then that I fell for you. I convinced myself that my heart was still with Jen when you’d stolen it long before. Even when I was with her, I wanted to be with you. She just couldn’t compare.”  
  
“But,” Dorothy started, but James cut her off.  
  
“I know I’ve royally fucked up everything when it comes to you and I. But I can’t give up on this…on _us_.”  
  
“I won’t let myself get hurt again,” Dorothy said as James closed the distance between them. “I _always_ end up hurt when it comes to you.”  
  
“I won’t let that happen,” he said gently.  
  
“There’s no guarantee,” she responded weakly.  
  
“You’re wrong,” he said, cupping her cheek in his hand. “Merlin, woman, can’t you see what you do to me?”  
  
“This,” she breathed, her eyes squeezed tightly shut. “This can’t happen. Us. You and I should go back to being friends. Stop sending me letters and gifts. I—I _can’t_.”  
  
James chuckled throatily, leaning forward so his lips ghosted over hers. “That’s what you don’t understand, Dorothy. I can’t give up on love.” He paused as Dorothy’s wide blue eyes searched his face for answers. “I’m in love with you, Dorothy.”  
  
“What are you doing?” she whimpered.  
  
James smiled. “I’m wooing you, Dorothy Longbottom. Just give me a couple more weeks.” He pushed forward and laid his lips firmly on hers. “Soon, you’ll be in love, too. Because there’s unfinished business here, Dorothy. And I can’t wait to figure out what that is.”  
  
James backed up a few steps from Dorothy, watching as she swayed slightly. He smiled sweetly at her, turned, and headed back into the castle. Dorothy watched him go, stumbling backwards until the backs of her knees hit the chilled stone of a bench behind her. She slowly sank onto the bench, her thin fingers brushing over her lips. She could still feel his kiss.  
  
“Too late,” she muttered as her heart sank in her chest.


	15. I Just Want It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Please tell me James bought her a cat, I think I would die.”

“I’m really getting sick of this wooing thing,” Fiona grumbled about a week later as she popped another chocolate into her mouth. She peered inside the red cardboard heart to find it empty, and tossed it aside with a mumbled curse. “Fucking Potter, making me gain weight as a means to winning your heart.”  
  
Dorothy rolled her eyes and laughed good-naturedly. “Oh, yes, Fi,” Hope began mockingly, “I’m sure you eating the equivalent of your body weight in chocolates James buys for Dorothy was a crucial part of his plan.”  
  
“Exactly!” Fiona exclaimed. “What a wanker.”  
  
“Maybe you should go whack around a Bludger to work off the extra calories,” Hope suggested with a smirk. Fiona responded with an irritated huff.  
  
Dorothy snorted at the two of them as she twisted her blonde hair up at the nape of her neck and secured it with a simple charm.  
  
“What are you getting so dressed up for?” Fiona asked as she sat up in her four poster for the first time in over an hour. The motion resulted in a large avalanche of candy wrappers to tumble off of her chest and bed. She pulled a remorseful face, placing her hand over her stomach.  
  
“Oh, nothing,” Dorothy said softly.  
  
“Got a hot date?” Hope grinned.  
  
Dorothy laughed. “No, definitely not,” she said as she stashed her wand in her cloak and straightened her robes. “I have a meeting. I’ll be back in a few hours, probably laden with more gifts from James.”  
  
Fiona frowned. “With that in mind, I probably will hit the pitch,” she muttered thoughtfully. “I haven’t seen Reed cry like a first year girl in a while.”  
  
“You’re making Kyle practice with you?” Dorothy asked.  
  
“Course I am,” Fiona replied. “He’s still a wimpy little bloke. Figure we can do a bit of core work, then get up in the air and work on our rhythms.”  
  
Hope smiled fondly, falling back onto her four poster covered with Quidditch plays on parchment she’d doodled in lessons. “I’ve raised you well.”  
  
“Eh,” Fiona grunted noncommittally as she swung her legs off of her mattress and stood then pushed her pajama pants over her hips to the ground. “Bollocks, real clothes,” she grumbled.  
  
“Well, I’ll see you lot later, then,” Dorothy said with a small smile.  
  
“You’re welcome to come out to the pitch when you’re done,” Fiona said as she adjusted her practice shorts on her hips. Reaching for the rest of her practice kit, she continued, “Reed could use some target practice.”  
  
Dorothy laughed. “I appreciate the offer, Fiona, but I’ll have to take a rain check.”  
  
Fiona grinned toothily at her. “Suit yourself.”  
  
Chuckling, Dorothy said, “Bye!” and bounded out of the dormitory.  
  
***  
  
Dorothy and Professor McGonagall were waiting for the Ministry official to finish reviewing the written examination Dorothy had just completed. “Are you sure you feel ready for this, Miss Longbottom?” McGonagall asked.  
  
“I think so,” Dorothy responded, trying not to glance over at the official. “I’ve been studying all week, and Madame Whittle approved me for the actual transformation.”  
  
“I know,” Professor McGonagall said. “But do _you_ feel strong enough?”  
  
Dorothy nodded. “I’m ready.” She stole a quick glance at the official who looked to be tallying up her final score. “Provided, of course.”  
  
“Alright, Minerva, Miss Longbottom,” the official said, standing.  
  
Professor McGonagall and Dorothy turned to the official and walked towards her. “Well?” Professor McGonagall said, curiosity evident in her tone.  
  
“Perfect written examination,” the official said, grinning. Dorothy felt like a large weight had just been lifted off of her chest as she smiled, shocked at how well she’d done. “Brilliant job, Miss Longbottom. Before we continue to the practical portion of the examination, I have a few questions for you.”  
  
“Of course,” Dorothy said.  
  
“Firstly, have you ever attempted a full transformation before today’s examination?”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Secondly, have you ever received unauthorized assistance with the partial transformations you have practiced?”  
  
“No, of course not.”  
  
“And thirdly, are you completing this examination under your own will for the reasons you stated earlier, that you,” the official referred back to Dorothy’s application for the examination, “quote, ‘Wish to be the best possible candidate for the Auror Academy to help and protect the Wizarding World?’”  
  
Dorothy nodded. “Yes.”  
  
The official smiled. “Right, then. Let’s get on with it, then. Remember, the first transformation is always the slowest and most draining. After this, transformation into your Animagus form will be a split second act of Transfiguration. You will always form the same animal you do today, and there will be a marking on your animal form that makes you recognizable to witches and wizards in the human form.  
  
“As you complete this transformation, don’t forget that you must fully experience each step of the transformation to properly set your Animagus form. This is very advanced magic, Miss Longbottom, and I would rather not have to take you to St. Mungo’s. Are you ready?”  
  
Dorothy took a deep breath. “Yes, ma’am.”  
  
The official nodded. “You may begin at anytime.”  
  
Dorothy nodded, gripping her wand tightly and closing her eyes, mentally running through the three steps. _Spell, size alignment, transformation._ She repeated the mantra and waved her wand, silently performing the nonverbal charm. She felt her body begin to shrink down as it had done so many times before.  
  
 _Concentrate,_ she thought to herself. She knew if her concentration broke for even one second, she would be damaged beyond repair magically. She felt the switch in her mind, animalistic thoughts flooding her brain. Still, the magic was hard at work as gold light swirled around Dorothy’s body, until finally, left standing in her place was a fluffy white blonde cat with curled ears.  
  
Dorothy opened her bright blue feline eyes and saw Professor McGonagall above her, tears rimming her old eyes. Dorothy looked down at herself to see small white paws and a large, poofy tail curled around herself. She stood, padding around in a circle to explore motion in her new form.  
  
“Phenomenal,” the official said. Human voices sounded strange in Dorothy’s animal brain. “Before you change back, Miss Longbottom, Minerva and I need to document your form. Now, where is her distinguishing mark? Could you possibly climb up onto the table for me, Miss Longbottom?”  
  
Dorothy made her way over to a chair, leapt up on it, and then leapt onto the table, turning to face Professor McGonagall and the Ministry official.  
  
“There,” Professor McGongall said, her finger brushing along Dorothy’s side. “A scar.”  
  
The ministry official took a closer look at Dorothy’s side, noting the line wrapping around from her side across her stomach that lacked fur. “Wonderful.” The official flipped the page on her clipboard and nodded. “Alright, Miss Longbottom, you can change back now, though I recommend you do it while on the floor.”  
  
Dorothy jumped down from the top of the table, skidding slightly across the smooth stone floor a bit as she landed. Dorothy once again performed the nonverbal charm, and felt herself changing back into a human. Once, fully transfigured, she fell forward slightly, leaning on the table for support. “Oh, wow,” she said, blinking her eyes rapidly to keep them open.  
  
“Are you alright, Miss Longbottom?” the official asked.  
  
“Yes, I’m just,” she paused a moment, sitting in the chair Professor McGonagall had pulled out for her. “Weak.”  
  
The official nodded. “Perfectly normal. The first transformation is always the most draining. It gets easier with time. Soon, it won’t affect you at all.”  
  
Dorothy nodded, frowning as her head felt like it weighed three times what it usually did.  
  
“Now, there are only two more things I need from you,” the official said. Dorothy looked up, waiting. “I need to see your scar, just to confirm your distinguishing mark.”  
  
Dorothy nodded and stood, lifting her shirt, revealing an angry red scar that started low on her hip and curved across her stomach. It was still surrounded by dark purple bruising that had just began to turn a sick green as it finished healing.  
  
“Oh, my,” the official breathed.  
  
“Madame Whittle said it should fade from red to pink in a few weeks, when it’s had more time to heal,” Dorothy said, a blush blooming on her face from her discomfort.  
  
“It was a very deep gash,” Professor McGonagall explained. “You can lower your blouse now, Dorothy.”  
  
Dorothy quickly dropped her shirt, wishing that ugly scar wouldn’t permanently mark her body the way she knew it would. “What else do you need, ma’am?” she asked softly.  
  
The official pulled a piece of parchment from her clipboard. “I just need your signature, Miss Longbottom. To finalize your registration.”  
  
Dorothy nodded, taking the quill and parchment from the official and scrawling her name along the bottom line.  
  
The Ministry took the parchment and magically created a copy of it for Dorothy. She smiled. “Congratulations, Miss Longbottom. You are officially a registered Animagus with the Improper Use of Magic Office in the Ministry of Magic. This is a very impressive accomplishment, especially for someone of your age. You should be very proud.”  
  
“Thank you very much,” Dorothy said with a tired smile.  
  
“And I hope to hear your name in the applicants for the Hallows Program when passing through the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Miss Longbottom,” the official said. “I think you have the capability to accomplish great things.”  
  
“Oh, um, thank you,” Dorothy said, watching as the official stepped into the Floo and was gone in a flash of green flame.  
  
Professor McGonagall looked over at Dorothy curiously. “The Hallows program?”  
  
“Professor Finch-Fletchley gave me an application after our meeting. I’m not sure if I’ll apply yet or not. I doubt I would get accepted,” Dorothy said.  
  
Professor McGonagall chuckled. “Oh, Dorothy. You have no idea how talented you truly are. What’s the harm in applying? You don’t have to say yes, and it does not affect your normal application to the Academy. I think you would regret it if you didn’t.”  
  
Dorothy nodded. “I know. I have all my forms filled out, including the Hallows Program. I just needed my registration form, which I now have.”  
  
Professor McGonagall smiled, summoning an envelope from her desk. “And this,” she said, handing the envelope to Dorothy.  
  
“Professor, what is this?” Dorothy asked.  
  
“A letter of personal recommendation for your application,” Professor McGonagall said firmly. “You may not be able to see your potential, but let me assure you, I can.”  
  
Dorothy looked from the envelope to her professor and hugged her tightly. Professor McGonagall let out a chuckle of surprise before wrapping her arms around her pupil. “Thank you for everything, Professor.”  
  
“It was my pleasure.”  
  
***  
  
Dorothy stumbled her way back to the Hufflepuff Common Room, using the stone wall for support as her physical exhaustion began to overtake her. She clutched McGonagall’s letter and her confirmation of Animagus registration tightly in her hand as she opened the entrance to her Common Room and crawled through.  
  
She managed to make her way to the Seventh Year Girls’ dormitory and clambered through the round door. The warmth of the room enveloped her and she smiled. Placing the letter and confirmation on her bedside table, she kicked off her shoes and looked longingly at her four poster.  
  
“Just a cat nap,” she muttered, knowing she had to be at Quidditch practice in a few hours. Suddenly an idea struck her. She grinned. “A _cat_ nap indeed.”  
  
***  
  
“Did Dorothy get a cat?” Hope asked as she and Fiona entered the dormitory.  
  
“Not that I know of,” Fiona said. “Why?”  
  
“There’s a cat sleeping on her bed,” Hope said, pulling out her practice kit. “A really cute cat.”  
  
Fiona looked over at the animal and grinned. “Aw, it is cute.” She then gasped loudly. “Oh, Merlin, what if James got her a cat?”  
  
Hope furrowed her brow in confusion. “What?”  
  
“James!” Fiona cried. “To _woo_ her or whatever shit he’s doing.” Fiona quickly kneeled beside Dorothy’s bed to more closely examine the animal. “Please tell me James bought her a cat, I think I would die.”  
  
“There is no way James bought her a cat,” Hope said laughing.  
  
Fiona looked up and glared at her best friend. “How do _you_ know?”  
  
“Because that’d be insane!”  
  
“Remember who we’re talking about here, Hope.”  
  
“Oh, Merlin, James bought her a cat.”  
  
Fiona reached out and petted it, rubbing its head between its ears. The cat purred softly, its bright blue eyes slowly opening. “Oh, she’s so pretty,” Hope said smiling.  
  
“How do you know it’s a girl cat?” Fiona asked, continuing to pet it.  
  
“It just looks like a girl,” Hope said.  
  
Fiona looked at the cat’s face and pursed her lips. “I guess.”  
  
The cat stood, stretching itself out with a soft meow. “Merlin, cats are cute,” Fiona said, with a smile.  
  
Suddenly, the cat was gone and Dorothy sat in its place. Hope and Fiona both jumped back with a shout.  
  
“Where’s my cat?!” Fiona demanded.  
  
Dorothy yawned, looking at Fiona in confusion. “What?”  
  
“There was a—a _cat_ there!” Fiona demanded. “And now it’s gone!”  
  
“Oh, Merlin! You passed your Animagus examination!” Hope cried.  
  
Dorothy smiled and nodded. “What?” Fiona asked lamely.  
  
“I _was_ the cat. That’s my Animagus form,” Dorothy said.  
  
“You’re _adorable!_ ”  
  
***  
  
Dorothy stood in the center of the owlery, staring upwards. “Hope and Fiona said I’d find you here,” a voice said from behind her. Dorothy turned to see Freddie standing at the entrance of the room.  
  
“Hi, Freddie,” Dorothy said softly.  
  
Freddie walked over to her, wrapping his arms tightly around her shoulders. Dorothy sighed, relaxing into his broad chest. As she breathed him in, she thought about how he was much larger than James was. While James was only an inch or so taller, Freddie’s shoulders were broad and his chest and waist was thick, every part of him coated with hard muscle, while James was much leaner and less defined. Being hugged by Freddie was like being wrapped up in a blanket of warmth, and he made her feel impossibly small and fragile. With James, his long arms clutched you like you were so valuable, he could never let go. Dorothy couldn’t determine which she preferred. Her arms snaked around Freddie’s waist and squeezed him tightly, letting her cheek rest on his chest.  
  
“Are you nervous?” he asked softly.  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“Don’t be.”  
  
Dorothy sighed, pulling out of the embrace. “Freddie, this is my whole future. I don’t have a backup plan. If I don’t get accepted, I don’t know what I’ll do.”  
  
“If you don’t get accepted, then the Academy is bloody stupid.”  
  
Dorothy cracked a smiled. “Freddie…”  
  
“It’s true!” he said, smiling at her. “You’re the best applicant they’ll have ever seen. You’re an Animagus at seventeen for Merlin’s sake.”  
  
“Who told you?”  
  
Freddie rolled his eyes. “You did. You told me you weren’t going to send in your application without the confirmation.”  
  
Dorothy blushed. “Oh. Of course.”  
  
“Now, come on,” he said, holding out his arm so his owl would land on it. “Let’s take the first step of your future, together.”  
  
Dorothy nodded, securing the application to the owl’s foot. “Take this to the Auror Office, would you?”  
  
The owl took off with a soft hoot. Dorothy let out a breath she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding.  
  
“It’s out of our hands now, Dor,” Freddie said as they watched his owl flying off into the distance.  
  
Dorothy nodded. “Yeah.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're wondering, the cat breed of Dorothy's Animagus form is the American Curl Cat. It's behavioral characteristics seemed fitting.


	16. I Just Feel The Pressure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It means that the second that blasted hat shouts Gryffindor, they all expect greatness. Everyone’s eyes on you, waiting to see what you’ll do, what difference you’ll make. You screw up once, and everyone questions that decision. But in Hufflepuff? No one expects anything more out of you than they do any person they pass on the street.”

Dorothy sat in the stands with Hope and Fiona, screaming at the match before them. She was clad in Freddie’s old Quidditch kit, while Hope and Fiona had simply donned red jumpers. Gryffindor was playing Slytherin, so the majority of the stands were wearing the classic scarlet.  
  
Dorothy studied the team as she cheered, watching as Freddie struggled to reign in the Bludgers by himself since Finnegan had taken yet another break to flirt with a Ravenclaw in the stands.  
  
“Oi!” James shouted. “Finnegan! Flirt after the match, yeah?”  
  
Finnegan flushed a deep red and flew back into the action, slamming a Bludger directly at the Slytherin Chaser who had the Quaffle.  
  
“About time you bloody did something,” Freddie grumbled. He turned to look at the stands, smiling as he saw Dorothy, Hope, and Fiona sitting with the part of his family that wasn’t playing, screaming, “Go, go, Gryffindor!” at the tops of their lungs.  
  
Dorothy looked up and saw Freddie looking at her, and waved, modeling her shirt. He grinned and sent back a saucy wink. She burst into laughter, and Freddie chuckled, zooming back into the game.  
  
“Weasley, leave me alone,” Fiona said irritably as Louis touched her again. “What are you doing here anyway? I thought I finally got rid of you when you graduated.”  
  
“Am I not allowed to root for my little cousins?” he shot back. “Honestly, Little, you’re the one in the wrong section. This is where the Gryffindors sit. Scarlet’s just not your color.”  
  
Fiona groaned and turned to Hope. “I’m going to the loo. I need a break.”  
  
Hope laughed and rolled her eyes. “Alright. Don’t be too long!”  
  
“It’s just the loo, how long can I take?” Fiona said laughing as she made her way to the aisle and out of the stands.  
  
“You’re such a prat when Fiona’s around, Louis,” Dorothy said with a smile.  
  
Louis shrugged, grinning. “It’s just so fun,” he said. “Speaking of, I think I’ll go—”  
  
“Oh, won’t you just leave her alone for a minute?” Hope asked, laughing.  
  
Louis smirked. “Where’s the fun in that?”  
  
Hope and Dorothy watched him go after Fiona. “Merlin, I wish they would just date already!” Hope exclaimed.  
  
“They would either be ridiculously happy, or kill each other within seconds,” Hugo said from his seat beside them.  
  
“Why not both?” Hope joked.  
  
***  
  
“Fiona?” Louis hissed beneath the stands. “Fiona!”  
  
A hand reached out from behind a wooden beam and grabbed his shirt, pulling him behind it. Before he could speak, another hand clamped over his mouth.  
  
“Shut up, would you?” Fiona hissed. “Merlin, Louis.” Louis pressed his lips against the palm of her hand, causing her to smile. “Ouch!” she yelped, ripping her hand off his mouth. “You bit me!”  
  
Louis grinned. “I did.”  
  
“You’re going to regret that,” she said.  
  
“I hope so,” he replied, taking her mouth with his own, pressing her back into the wooden beam. The kiss was hot and passionate as the two fought with lips, teeth, and tongues the way they had fought with words and hexes for so long. “Ow, fuck, Fiona!” he yelped, breaking the kiss to dab at the blood on his lip from where she’d bitten him.  
  
She grinned. “Oops.”  
  
He grinned back at her. “You little minx,” he said, grabbing her hips and pulling her flush against him. She whimpered as she felt his desire. “Merlin, I’ve missed you. When’s the next Hogsmeade weekend?” He placed his mouth beneath her ear lobe, sucking and nipping at her unblemished skin.  
  
She leaned her head back into the wood, trying to focus. “Next weekend, the first weekend in December.”  
  
“So long,” he groaned into her skin.  
  
She nodded, tangling her hand into his long blonde hair. “Too long.”  
  
“Better make this last then,” he said, taking her ear lobe between his teeth, grinning as she moaned softly.  
  
“You’d better.”  
  
His lips took her mouth again, but rather than a raw heat, it was warmth that spread through their bodies all the way to the tips of their fingers and toes. Fiona draped both arms around his shoulders, pulling him closer to her, her hand tugging on his blonde locks. His thickly muscled arms wrapped tightly around her middle, one hand splayed across her shoulder toying with the ends of her long dark hair, the other across the small of her back, dangerously close to the curve of her arse.  
  
His lower hand slid downwards, squeezing the soft, round flesh. She arched against him in surprise, laughing in the kiss. “Cheeky git,” she muttered, rubbing against him.  
  
“You know you love it,” he responded.  
  
She nibbled on his bottom lip, letting one of her hands slide to his arse and squeezed. He jumped, laughing. “Yeah, I guess.”  
  
***  
  
“There you two are!” Hope said as Louis and Fiona returned to their seats. “I thought I was going to have to send out a search party for your dead bodies.”  
  
“I can’t believe you let him come find me,” Fiona said, throwing Louis a dirty look.  
  
“Didn’t want you to miss me,” he responded with a smirk.  
  
“Trust me, I don’t,” Fiona shot back.  
  
“Your letters say differently,” he teased.  
  
Fiona’s eyes flashed dangerously. “You two still write?” Hope asked.  
  
“Yes,” Fiona said, glaring at Louis. “Every day I get a piece of parchment filled with poorly thought out insults. Honestly, you can do better.”  
  
“I’ll have to take that into consideration,” he said.  
  
“Look, Albus has spotted the Snitch!” Hugo cried as David Humble began rapidly calling out what was happening from the announcer’s box.  
  
Dorothy saw it before Freddie. A Bludger was propelling forward towards Albus’s outstretched arm. “Freddie!” Dorothy screamed, even though she knew he couldn’t hear her.  
  
Freddie saw it from the other side of the field not even a second later. He zoomed forward. “ _Finnegan!_ ” he bellowed, trying to get his partner’s attention back in the game.  
  
It was too late. The Bludger came in contact with Albus’s arm, easily breaking it. He cried out in pain, immediately retracting his arm and loosing focus on his dive. Mathias Zabini, the Slytherin Seeker and Captain swooped beneath him and closed his hand around the Snitch.  
  
“And…Slytherin wins,” David’s voice echoed, disappointment evident. “220-210, Slytherin.”  
  
***  
  
Dorothy pushed her way through the crowd by the Quidditch lockers, managing to stumble into the room with Hope, Fiona, and Louis behind her. Louis and Fiona pushed against the door, locking it against the raging crowd of Slytherins and Gryffindors. They stole a glance at each other and grinned.  
  
The small moment ended as Hope frantically said, “Where are they?”  
  
Louis spoke up, leaving Fiona against the door. “The after game meeting is always in the back room since the crowd barricades the doors. The shouting always interrupted the debrief.”  
  
“I knew we kept you around for something,” Fiona grumbled, swiftly walking past him. “Let’s go.”  
  
“This isn’t a good idea,” Louis called as she hurried after the girls. “Gryffindors are crazy when it comes to Quidditch. James will be pissed if you guys interrupt.”  
  
“Trust me, Lou,” Dorothy said as she wrapped her hand around the handle to the back room. “It’s not James I’m worried about.”  
  
Dorothy wrenched the door open, breaking the Silencing charm that had been cast over the room. “I cannot _believe_ that you let that Bludger pass right by your _bloody fucking face!_ ” James roared, his face less than three inches away from Eóin’s. “Not only did your _incompetence_ manage to lose us the game and shatter Al’s arm, but you destroyed _years_ of Gryffindor victories over Slytherin! Do you have any _idea_ the last time Gryffindor _lost_ to Slytherin?!”  
  
Eóin looked ghostly pale. “Uh, no, sir?”  
  
“1991,” Dorothy said flatly. “The year before Harry Potter joined the team as a first year.”  
  
“ _Exactly!_ ” James exploded. Eóin flinched as spit landed on his face due to James’s rage. “Wait,” he said, turning towards the door. “What the hell are you doing here?”  
  
“Making sure you don’t kill anyone,” Hope said matter-of-factly.  
  
James shot her a venomous glare. “I don’t need the fucking _Hufflepuff_ Captain to come in here and tell _me_ how to run and discipline my team!”  
  
“James,” Dorothy pleaded softly.  
  
“Dor,” Freddie said, his eyes flashing in warning. “You guys should really just leave.”  
  
Dorothy nodded, leading the way out of the back room and letting the door fall shut behind them. “I told you it wasn’t a good idea,” Louis said softly. “What happens in the Gryffindor locker room, stays in the Gryffindor locker room.”  
  
“That’s stupid,” Fiona snapped.  
  
“Like what goes on with the Hufflepuff team isn’t secret?” Louis shot back.  
  
Fiona frowned, realizing he was right. “I’m heading back up to the castle. This was a stupid idea.”  
  
“I’m going to stay,” Dorothy said. “Wait for them to finish up. I’ll talk to him after.”  
  
“Who?” Fiona spat. “James or Freddie?”  
  
Dorothy looked at her, her face filled with concealed emotion. “Whoever comes to me first.”  
  
“I’ll stay with you,” Hope said softly. “I owe James an apology, Captain to Captain.”  
  
Fiona nodded. “I’ll see you both in the dormitory later.”  
  
“Let’s find a way out of here,” Little,” Louis said flatly.  
  
Fiona looked over at him and scowled. “Great.”  
  
Hope and Dorothy sat on the wooden benches beside each other as they watched Louis and Fiona leave the locker room by one of the side doors.  
  
“She’s right, you know,” Dorothy said softly.  
  
“About this being a stupid idea?” Hope asked, letting out a cynical laugh. “We knew that going into this.”  
  
“No,” Dorothy said, her gaze intense on her wringing hands. “About James and Freddie.” She paused, the pulling of her fingers becoming more violent with each passing second. “I can’t make both of them happy. Either James ends up heartbroken, or Freddie will think I’ve lied to him for almost a month, and he’ll never approve. Not after everything.”  
  
Hope didn’t say anything. Dorothy continued, “I just wish there was a way I could go back to when we were five years old, running around back behind the Burrow. When we were all just friends.” Dorothy looked up, the movement not ceasing, and studied the lockers on the far wall. “Things were easier then.”  
  
***  
  
“How was I supposed to know she didn’t know about the letters?” Louis snapped as he walked alongside Fiona on the outskirts of the grounds by the Forbidden Forest.  
  
“Oh, I dunno, Lou,” Fiona shot back. “Maybe by using your bloody brain?! After what we told everyone happened at last Hogsmeade weekend, why would we still be writing?”  
  
Louis groaned. “I don’t know, Fi, I said I was sorry, can’t you just let it go?”  
  
“Let it go?” she exclaimed, stopping to face him. “Are you mad? You almost blew the secret with your fat mouth!”  
  
“Well, I don’t like this being a secret anyway!” he said, obviously exasperated.  
  
“We don’t even know what _this_ is!”  
  
“Well, maybe we should talk about it!”  
  
“Well, go bloody ahead, you wanker!” Fiona shouted. “What do you want to talk about first, how infuriating you are, or how bloody incompatible we seem to be? We’ve been together for, what, three hours, and we’re already to rip each other’s throats out!”  
  
Louis pushed her backwards into the forest and up against a tree trunk. “How about how bloody beautiful you look when you’re angry with me? Or how even when you’re shouting at me like the crazy bint you are, I still can’t stop thinking about how much I fancy you?”  
  
Fiona looked up into his clouded blue eyes and her tongue darted out of her mouth, moistening her lips. “I’m still mad at you,” she said weakly, her hands rising to wrap around his thick biceps as his arms wrapped around her.  
  
“I don’t really want to talk anymore, Fiona,” he growled, his gaze firmly planted on her plump lips.  
  
She nodded. “Well, at least you’re not completely dense.” He laughed throatily as he swooped down and took her lips with his own in a heated and angry kiss.  
  
***  
  
Both Dorothy and Hope’s heads snapped up towards the door as it opened. Freddie slid out of the room, looking ferociously angry. Dorothy stood quickly. “Fred,” she started.  
  
“I honestly can’t believe you sometimes, Dor,” Freddie snapped. Dorothy took a step back, surprise evident on her features. “What the hell were you thinking, barging in there like that, pissing James of even more than he already was?” Dorothy’s eyes welled up with tears, and she couldn’t manage an answer. Freddie slammed his locker shut. “ _Well?_ ”  
  
“I—I wanted to make sure you were okay,” she choked out.  
  
Freddie turned from his pile of clothes to see Dorothy standing there, tears falling down her face. “Oh, hell,” he muttered.  
  
“I’m sorry,” she managed. “I didn’t mean to make things worse, I just—”  
  
“You just _what_ , Dor?” Freddie demanded.  
  
“I don’t know!” she cried. “What do you expect? Not everything I do is thought out, and this was stupid! I was just… _worried_ , I guess!”  
  
“About me, or about James?” he snapped.  
  
“Am I not allowed to be worried about you both?” Dorothy asked. “Since when has it been an ‘or?’ You’re both my friends!”  
  
Freddie closed his eyes, shaking his head slowly. “Whatever you say, Dor.” He shoved his clothes into a bag and turned to leave the locker room. “I’ll talk to you later, once I’ve cooled off.”  
  
“Freddie!” Dorothy called after him. She turned her head to Hope, a desperate look on her face.  
  
“Go,” Hope said. “I’ll tell James.”  
  
“Thanks,” she gushed, chasing after Freddie.  
  
“Freddie!” she called as she sprinted across the grass after him.  
  
He turned and looked over her shoulder. “Dor?”  
  
She caught up to him, panting. “Who else?”  
  
“I thought you’d wait for James,” he confessed.  
  
Guilt struck Dorothy hard in the chest. “Freddie,” she said. “You’re my best friend. No one is more important to me than you. Not even James.”  
  
Freddie looked at her, as if trying to detect a falsehood in her statement. Sighing, he started walking again. “He’s especially mad that you were right about Finnegan.”  
  
Smiling, Dorothy caught up with Freddie and allowed her footsteps to fall in time with his. “Oh?”  
  
“Sure, he’s furious we lost the match. Last grudge match, y’know? But he feels really stupid. So he’s even more out of control.”  
  
Dorothy looked over at Freddie, her face soft with sincerity. “I’m really sorry you lost, Freddie.”  
  
Freddie nodded. “Me too.”  
  
***  
  
Hope sat in the locker room, counting players as Albus, Rose, Roxanne, and Lily filed out of the back room, leaving just James and Eóin. After a while, even a shaking Eóin made his way out. Taking a deep breath, Hope knocked on the door to the back room.  
  
“What?” a venomous voice hissed through the wood.  
  
Hope took a deep breath and pushed the door open slightly. James was sitting against the wall, staring at the door. His eyes rose to see Hope and his angry face became even more intense. “What the bloody hell could you possibly want?”  
  
She bit down on her lip, then softly said, “I wanted to apologize.”  
  
“I don’t want your fucking pity, Jacobs,” James snapped as he rose to his feet. “It’s just a match.”  
  
“I wasn’t talking about the match, Potter,” she tossed back. “And you know as well as I do it’s not _just_ a match, don’t you dare give me that crap.”  
  
“Don’t act like you know me just because you’re friends with Dorothy,” he shouted. “Because you don’t!”  
  
“Know you or not, this is more than a damn game to you,” Hope replied, her temper flaring. “It’s your life. It’s your pride and your joy and your identity. Losing this game makes you question yourself as a player, as a Captain, and as a person. The constant questioning of whether or not you’re good enough and the doubt of every move you make—”  
  
“SHUT UP!” James roared. Hope blinked, shocked. “I don’t need some soul searching lecture from a bloody Hufflepuff right now! I don’t need anything! I just need to be left _alone!_ ”  
  
“Just because I’m in Hufflepuff, doesn’t mean I can’t empathize with you!”  
  
“Oh, yeah,” he scoffed. “You don’t have anywhere near the amount of pressure on you to succeed!”  
  
“What’s that supposed to mean?!”  
  
“It means that the second that blasted hat shouts _Gryffindor_ , they all expect greatness. Everyone’s eyes on you, waiting to see what you’ll do, what difference you’ll make. You screw up once, and everyone questions that decision.” He looked over at Hope again and let out a harsh laugh. “But in Hufflepuff? No one expects anything more out of you than they do any person they pass on the bloody street.”  
  
“No one can decide your fate for you, James,” Hope snapped. “I don’t care what your house is or what your name is or any of that shit. Your fate is up to you, and if you want to let your buggered up views on what people expect out of you ruin your life, then go right ahead. Because I don’t expect anything out of you.”  
  
James stared at her blankly as she wrenched the door open. She paused, and said, “Sorry for interrupting your meeting. It wasn’t my place.” She then slammed the door behind her.


	17. I Just Have a Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Different?”
> 
> “Good different.”
> 
> “Well, so are you. I guess. Whatever ‘good different’ means.”
> 
> “Can I ask you something?”
> 
> “If it’s about Dorothy, I will walk right out of this room and back into the main room to find Fi’s present.”
> 
> “I hope you find everything alright, ma’am, thanks for choosing Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes.”

Dorothy stormed into her dormitory, allowing the circular door to slam loudly behind her. Hope and Fiona, who were sitting together on Fiona’s four poster, turned to look at their friend expectantly, waiting for her to finish her tantrum. Dorothy ripped her black flats off of her feet and threw them angrily into her open closet, muttering angrily beneath her breath. She shrugged out of her robe and ripped her blouse off over her head, tossing the nice clothes she didn’t normally wear on the weekends against the wall to fall in a crumpled heap. She stomped over to her dresser as she unbuttoned her skirt and let it drop, stepping out of it and ripping the second drawer down open. She pulled out a hand-knitted navy jumper that used to be Freddie’s and pulled it on over her head, then slammed the drawer shut. Trudging to her closet, Dorothy yanked out a pair of denims and pulled them up forcefully, then threw herself face first into her mattress. She let out a muffled scream into her pillow.  
  
“So, the meeting with Madame Whittle didn’t go well?” Hope asked nervously.  
  
Dorothy flopped over onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. “After the holiday.”  
  
Hope gasped. “But that’s about another month and a half!” Fiona cried.  
  
Dorothy sat up, running a hand through her blonde hair. “Trust me, I know,” she grumbled. “But she’s worried about my bloody side. It’s not healing as fast as she thought it would, and she can only perform minor spells on it because the depth makes it too dangerous.” She sighed loudly. “Until my side is healed, I’m grounded.”  
  
“Well, you don’t want to make a save and split open,” Fiona said softly. “At least our next match is the last of the season. We have months before you really have to start practicing again.”  
  
“It’s going to take me months to get back to the place I was before I was injured,” Dorothy pointed out. “I won’t have flown for over two months.”  
  
Both Fiona and Hope shuddered at the thought. “I just want you healed, Dora,” Hope said. “Even if the process drives me mad.”  
  
Dorothy nodded, her right arm absentmindedly curling around her torso and fingering the scar on her side beneath her jumper.  
  
The door to the dormitory opened and two girls entered the room, laughing loudly. Hope and Fiona looked up and saw Tabitha Bruce walking in with bouncing dark curls followed closely by Hettie Langley. Her long blonde hair hung to about the center of her back, looking shiny and soft. She was pale-skinned, had a sharp nose, and so little chin that it blended in mostly with her neck. Fiona scowled, and Hope sighed softly, her eyes following her old best friend.  
  
Tabitha looked over at Hope and scoffed. “What are you looking at, Jacobs?”  
  
“Nothing,” Hope said quickly.  
  
“Heard from Louis recently, Little?” Hettie sneered. “Tabitha has. He writes her all the time, saying how much he misses her now that he’s graduated.” Fiona felt her face heat up with anger as her fists and jaw clenched. “But the only attention you could get from him was all that childish bickering, wasn’t it? Pity. I hear he’s great in the sack, right, Tabitha?”  
  
“Why should I care about what Weasley does?” Fiona spat, literally shaking with her rage. “We hate each other. I care as much about what he does as I do about what you do, Langley.”  
  
“Oh, I guess you don’t want me to warn you that he’s coming to see me next Hogsmeade weekend?” Tabitha said, as she walked over to her trunk. “Taking me to Puddifoots.”  
  
“There’s no way,” Hope said, surprise evident on her delicate features. “I mean, after that break up you two had? He wouldn’t be caught dead with you.”  
  
Tabitha looked over at Hope with an icy glare. “Things change, Hope.”  
  
“Have you found your book yet, Tab?” Hettie asked impatiently. “It reeks of mediocrity in here.”  
  
Tabitha yanked a ratty textbook from inside her trunk with a triumphant grin. “Got it. Let’s go.”  
  
Hettie beamed and turned back to the door. “Oh, hello, Thee.”  
  
Thee looked up at the sound of her name, snapping back into reality. “Oh, um, hi,” she said softly.  
  
Hettie lead the way out of the dormitory, Tabitha close on her tail. Tabitha, however, paused in the doorway. She turned back to her room mates. “I just wanted to say you all played a very impressive match against Ravenclaw. I’m glad that the Hufflepuff team is shaping out so well.” She turned her gaze on Dorothy and opened her mouth to say something. Then, as if deciding better of it, closed her mouth and nodded at Hope, who smiled genuinely at her. Tabitha then slipped out of the dormitory, closing the circular door softly behind her.  
  
“What the hell was _that?_ ” Fiona demanded, her eyes landing accusingly on Hope.  
  
Hope’s eyes widened as she shrugged. “No idea.”  
  
***  
  
“We’re meeting for lunch, right?” Dorothy asked as she pulled on a jumper.  
  
“Right,” Hope said, twisting a floral scarf around her neck as she examined her appearance in the mirror. “Why does snow have to be so… _wet?_ ”she mumbled to herself.  
  
“Hope’s mental tradition,” Fiona teased from her position on the floor. She was lying on her back, working on pulling up her boots over her tight denims. “We have the first half to shop in peace, and then we can see each other again. Trust me, if she even thinks she’s spotted you near her, she’ll run in the opposite direction, assuming the snow hasn’t paralyzed her.”  
  
“I will not have you nosy bints ruining the surprise of Christmas,” she said with a grin.  
  
“These…blasted… _boots!_ ” Fiona grunted as the one she had been yanking on finally slid into place. She glared up at Hope. “I blame you for my fat calves.”  
  
Hope laughed as Fiona started tugging on the second boot and flicked her wand, causing the boot to shove itself up her leg into place. Fiona yelped. “It pinched me!”  
  
Hope pouted at her. “Poor baby.”  
  
Dorothy slid her feet into trainers and grabbed her Hufflepuff scarf and tossed it over her shoulders. “Well, I’ll see you both at The Three Broomsticks at one; I’m meeting Freddie at the Great Hall.”  
  
“Wait!” Hope said, grabbing her bag from her bed. “We’ll walk with you. We’re ready.”  
  
Dorothy chuckled as her Fiona pocketed her small coin sack and joined Dorothy by the door, watching as Hope scurried around the room, making sure she had everything she needed. “I’m sure Freddie won’t mind if you’re a couple minutes late,” Fiona said with a smirk.  
  
“She won’t be late,” Hope snapped. “I’m ready.”  
  
Dorothy laughed. “Okay, let’s go.”  
  
***  
  
Freddie was leaning up against the wall beside the entrance to the Great Hall beside Louis, waiting for Dorothy to come meet him. “So you really think Puddifoots is going to be a good place to tell her to stop owling you?”  
  
Louis groaned, running a hand through his hair. “I didn’t pick it. I’ve already written her to stop; I figured I could at least talk to her and see what she wants. Bird’s driving me crazy.”  
  
Freddie looked over and laughed at his cousin’s desperate expression. “Oh, mate. You’re in for a rough day. You know exactly what she wants.”  
  
“Well, she’s not going to get any from me,” Louis shot back. “I have this new... _thing._ ”  
  
Freddie’s brow cocked curiously. “Oh? Do share, favorite cousin.”  
  
“Nah, don’t want to bugger it up by telling anyone about it until she and I are on solid ground, y’know?” Freddie nodded. “And I’ve never been your favorite cousin. You still at odds with James?”  
  
Freddie sighed. “I don’t even know.”  
  
“He’s moving in on your girl, it’s reasonable to be pissed,” Louis said.  
  
Freddie choked on the breath he’d just taken. “What? Dor’s not—we’re _not—_ ”  
  
Louis laughed at his cousin’s obvious discomfort. “You’re not fooling anyone, Fred.”  
  
“Hi!” Dorothy called down the corridor, waving like mad and jogging the rest of the way towards them. Freddie straightened up when he saw her. “Sorry to be late.”  
  
Freddie grinned at her. “No issue. Want to head out?”  
  
“So, it’s _true_ , then?” Fiona said, venom dripping from her words.  
  
“What’s got your knickers in a twist, Little?” Louis asked, his mouth flat.  
  
Fiona smirked dangerously at him. “Tabitha Bruce has been bragging for days that Louis Weasley was taking her to Puddifoot’s today because of how much he missed her since graduation. I’ve heard you write all the time.”  
  
Louis groaned. “I didn’t pick Puddifoot’s.”  
  
Freddie, obviously enjoying his cousin’s displeasure, chimed in, “He’s trying to get her to stop writing him. Gets at least one owl a day. The girl’s mental.”  
  
“And writing her back to stop wouldn’t work?” Hope asked curiously.  
  
Louis shot a glare at Hope. “You really think I’d be here right now if it had? It’s been going on for months.”  
  
“I hope your new bird’s understanding, Lou,” Freddie said. “Tabitha Bruce is a tad… _persistent_.”  
  
Louis made eye contact with Fiona. “Yeah, so do I.”  
  
“Well, I’m going to hit the village,” Hope said, causing Fiona to quickly break the contact. “I don’t want to see either of you until one.”  
  
Freddie looked at Dorothy, who laughed. “I’ll explain on the way.” She looked back at Fiona. “You coming, Fi?”  
  
Fiona shook her head. “I’ll be down in a minute. I want to see if there are any biscuits left in the Great Hall.”  
  
Dorothy smiled. “Okay. See you later!”  
  
Freddie offered Dorothy his arm, which she readily accepted, and the two made their way out of the school giggling.  
  
Once they were gone, Fiona turned back to Louis. “So…Puddifoot’s, huh?”  
  
“I’d much rather be taking you,” he said, his voice low.  
  
Fiona snorted. “Oh please. Puddifoot’s isn’t exactly my style.”  
  
Louis chuckled. “Like it’s anyone’s style.”  
  
“So why would you take me?” Fiona asked coyly.  
  
Louis grinned. “We’d go in, and you’d be saying how much you hated the place in that snarky little tone you use when you’re bitching that gets me every time, even though I know that deep down you’d be loving every second of the cliché romanticism. And then we’d sit down and drink coffee and eat way too many overly sweet biscuits as we made fun of all the other lovesick couples that look exactly the way we must be looking.”  
  
“Sounds like you’ve really thought this through,” Fiona said with a smile.  
  
“But the real reason I’d take you there is so that everyone else would know that you were mine,” he said. Fiona’s face softened. Louis reached out and grabbed her hips, pulling her tightly against him. “Only mine.”  
  
“But what about Bruce?” Fiona asked as Louis started to suck on her neck. “Won’t you be eating biscuits and drinking coffee with her today? Won’t it look like _she_ was yours?”  
  
“Fuck Bruce,” he growled. “I want to be with you.”  
  
“But you have a date already,” she sighed, leaning her head back and offering him more of her skin.  
  
“It’ll take five minutes,” he said. “Meet me at the Shrieking Shack?”  
  
“But—”  
  
Louis pressed a kiss to her lips. “Please.”  
  
With a small smile, she nodded. “Okay. You’re lucky you’ve got such an ‘understanding bird.’”  
  
He grinned sheepishly. “Don’t I know it? He doesn’t know anything, just that I’m waiting to tell anyone anything until we’re on solid ground. And that I’m crazy about you.”  
  
“Good,” she said pressing her mouth firmly against his again. “I always liked making you crazy.”  
  
***  
  
“You’re coming to the Christmas party, right?” Freddie asked Dorothy as they perused the shelves of Spintwitches, looking for a gift for Hope.  
  
“That’s the plan,” Dorothy responded. “Unless my parents made other plans. Why?”  
  
“Just checking,” Freddie said with a grin. “Would want you to ditch out on me like you’ve done in the past.”  
  
“Hey!” Dorothy cried defensively. “My parents surprised me with a ski trip _six years ago_ , and I cried the whole way there.”  
  
“Likely story,” Freddie said, smirking. Dorothy gripped the upper edge of her wire shopping basket and hit him hard with the bottom of it. “Oi!” he yelped.  
  
“You’re an arse, Fred Weasley,” she said, turning away from him and walking back down the aisle towards the Seeker supplies. Rolling his eyes, he followed her, stopping short in front of a misplaced Beater’s bat. But not just any bat. It was the newest edition of the Thunder Bats, which had been said to be the best bats ever made. He peered down the aisle at Dorothy, who was running her fingers along the edge of the shelf, not really paying attention. He picked it up, hid it behind his back, and walked towards her.  
  
“Any luck?” he asked, silently sliding the bat into her basket.  
  
“Put it back, Freddie,” Dorothy said, humor dancing in her voice.  
  
“What?” he asked innocently. Dorothy shot him a glare. He sighed. “But, _Dor_ ,” he whined.  
  
“You are not picking out your own Christmas present!” she demanded, laughing, pulling the bat out of her basket. “I already have yours anyway! Put it back.”  
  
“But my birthday is so close to Christmas—”  
  
“I have that one too. Don’t make me hex you, Fred.”  
  
***  
  
Inside the newest Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes shop, standing where the famed Zonko’s used to be having finally bought out the company three years previously, was almost always deafeningly loud. Hogwarts students were always packed inside its doors, screaming and laughing, the sounds every successful joke shop wanted to hear.  
  
Hope Jacobs, however, was standing silently and alone in an aisle, debating mentally on what to purchase for Fiona for Christmas.  
  
“Can I help you with something?” a happy voice asked from behind her.  
  
She turned, shocked to find James Potter standing behind her, clad in denims and a Wheezes employee shirt. His eyes widened as he saw her, blushing slightly. “Uh, no,” she said, desperate to get out of this uncomfortable situation. “I’m just going to look, uh,” she looked around frantically. “Over there,” she finished lamely.  
  
“Wait!” James said, reaching out and grabbing her arm as she turned to flee. “Hope. Hope Jacobs, right?”  
  
Hope turned back and looked at him unsurely. “Yes…”  
  
“Hope Jacobs, Hufflepuff Captain,” he said more to himself than to her. “I don’t want to forget that.”  
  
“Is that all?” Hope asked impatiently.  
  
“No!” James said a little too quickly. “I, uh,” he looked around him and frowned. “Would you come with me for a moment?”  
  
Hope ripped her arm from his grasp, causing James, who hadn’t even realized he was still holding onto her, to blush violently. “No,” she snapped, sounding scandalized.  
  
“Hope,” he pleaded. His hazel eyes were desperate. “Please.”  
  
Hope sighed. “Fine.”  
  
***  
  
“Aren’t you going to get anything?” Tabitha asked Louis nervously as he sent the waitress away from their table.  
  
“No, I’m alright,” Louis responded gruffly, wishing this whole ordeal was over and he was with Fiona at the Shrieking Shack. He rubbed the stubble on his cheek and said, “Look, Tab, you’ve got to stop writing me.”  
  
Tabitha blinked. “Why? Are we not capable of being friends?”  
  
“Friends?” Louis scoffed loudly. “Friends don’t go to Puddifoot’s together. Friends don’t send multiple owls a day. Friends,” he continued, his voice now biting with bitterness, “don’t spread rumors and lies about each other after a break up!”  
  
“Louis!” Tabitha hissed. “Keep your voice down, would you?”  
  
“Stop owling me!” Louis shot back. “For Merlin’s sake, I get more owls from you than I get from my bloody girlfriend.”  
  
Tabitha’s face paled. “Girlfriend?” Louis cursed under his breath. “You have a girlfriend?”  
  
Louis took a deep breath. “Yeah, I do. Well, I think I do. It’s none of your business. You need to move on with your life so I can move on with mine, got it? Stop owling me.”  
  
“I can write to whoever I want!” she snapped. “Did you ever once think that those letters were more about me and less about you?”  
  
Louis stared at her blankly, wondering how he ever had thought a relationship with Tabitha Bruce had been a good idea. “That doesn’t make any bloody sense, Tab.”  
  
“Maybe I’m lonely,” she continued. “Maybe I’m lonely, and the last person that made me feel like I wasn’t alone was you, and maybe I wanted to feel like that again. Maybe I wanted to feel like I _meant_ something again.  
  
“Maybe I wanted some attention, that kind that I always had when I was with you. Maybe—”  
  
“Tab,” Louis said firmly, cutting off her emotional ramblings.  
  
She made eye contact with him, her dark brown eyes glassy and flooded, full of desperation. “Please don’t make me stop writing you, Louis,” she pleaded softly.  
  
Louis stared at her for a moment, but then shook his head. “After I broke up with you, you told the entire school that I had been shagging birds left and right behind your back, when it had been me who found you half naked in a broom cupboard with Bradley Page from the Ravenclaw Quidditch team.”  
  
Tabitha flushed with embarrassment. “I’m so sorry, Louis,” she sobbed, reaching for him. “Please, believe me—”  
  
“Don’t, Tab,” he said, pulling away from her and standing up forcefully from the table. “Just don’t. Don’t talk to me, don’t think of me, and for Merlin’s sake, don’t bloody write me. Do you understand?”  
  
Tabitha nodded, hiccupping pathetically as tears poured down her pretty face. He nodded sharply, feeling a pang of guilt for upsetting her so. He spun on his heel and strode out of the shop.  
  
***  
  
Freddie and Dorothy were walking down the street as Louis passed them, a stone expression on his face. “Is he okay?” Dorothy asked.  
  
Freddie shrugged. “It can’t be easy for him to see Tabitha,” he said. “The girl practically ruined his life last year.”  
  
“He gets hurt and mumbles Fi’s name while he’s unconscious, she cheats on him and gets caught, he dumps her, she spreads rumors saying he cheated on her,” Dorothy said, shaking her head. “I don’t understand how she could want to see him any more than he wants to see her.”  
  
“Well, you know birds,” Freddie said with a grin. “You all are mental.”  
  
Dorothy gasped, laughing. “Even me?” She looked up at him, fluttering her eyelashes innocently.  
  
He snorted, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “Especially you.”  
  
Dorothy hit him in the center of his chest. “You’re an arsehole, Fred Weasley.”  
  
“But I’m _your_ arsehole,” he said squeezing her and waggling his eyebrows playfully.  
  
Dorothy laughed loudly and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, unfortunately.”  
  
“You don’t mean that,” he said, feigning hurt at her words as he began trying to trod on her toes as they walked.  
  
Dorothy couldn’t help but snicker at his childish behavior, dodging his large feet. “You’ll never know, Weasley.”  
  
Freddie let out a loud laugh. “ _Weasley?_ I see how it is, _Longbottom_ ,” he said, stooping down and throwing Dorothy over his shoulder. “It’s time to teach you a lesson.”  
  
“Oh, _Merlin_ ,” she moaned loudly. “Why must you always resort to lifting me and placing my face at arse-level?”  
  
“It helps his masculinity,” another voice teased.  
  
“Rose?” Dorothy asked, peering around Freddie’s waist. Rose smirked and wiggled her fingers in Dorothy’s direction.  
  
“Really, Freddie, you’re in the middle of the street,” Rose said. “You’re just showing off.”  
  
“Oh, bugger off, Rose,” Freddie said as he adjusted Dorothy on his shoulder.  
  
“Happy to,” she shot back with a mischievous grin. “Lewis Davies is waiting for me in Hog’s Head in that back corner booth—”  
  
Freddie dropped Dorothy to her feet immediately, advancing on his younger cousin. “Lewis Davies? That slimey Ravenclaw Chaser? In the Hog’s Head?”  
  
Rose laughed and pecked Freddie’s cheek. “Oh, Fred, you’re so cute when you’re trying to be overprotective.”  
  
“Rose,” he said warningly.  
  
“I get it, no more than snogging, I’ll play your game and pretend like your approval matters to me,” she said laughing. Dorothy snorted behind Freddie. Rose grinned. “Honestly, if I were you, I’d be more concerned about Roxanne getting cosy with Dave Humble in Three Broomsticks.”  
  
Freddie blinked. “ _What?_ ”  
  
Rose cursed. “I wasn’t supposed to tell you that.”  
  
“I’ll skin that weasel,” he muttered, turning on his heel and stalking towards The Three Broomsticks.  
  
“Bugger,” Dorothy muttered, hurrying after him. “Have fun on your date, Rose!” she called.  
  
Rose laughed. “Oh, I plan to.”  
  
“Freddie!” Dorothy called, chasing him down the street. “Don’t be daft!”  
  
***  
  
Hope followed James into a room labeled “Employee’s Only” on the upper floor of Wheezes. She walked into the center of the break room, looking around her. It was surprisingly normal, with a burnt orange color on the walls, accented with dark purple moldings. James closed the door softly behind them.  
  
“Well?” she asked as he approached her from behind. He didn’t reply. She turned to face him, her amber eyes studying him curiously. “What’d you want to talk to me about, James?” Her voice was sharp and flat, obviously laced with slight irritation.  
  
He took a deep breath. “I wanted to apologize,” he said firmly.  
  
Hope folded her arms over her chest as one of her eyebrows cocked in surprise. “Oh?” she pressed.  
  
His hand flew to the back of his neck, which he rubbed nervously. “I was pissed about losing the match. I shouldn’t have taken that out on you. It…it wasn’t fair of me to do so.”  
  
Hope nodded, processing the information. “Alright,” she said after a moment.  
  
James stared at her blankly. “Alright?” he asked incredulously. “That’s all you have to say? What’s that supposed to mean?”  
  
Hope scoffed. “What do you want me to say? You act like I don’t understand _exactly_ what happened, James. I would’ve acted the same way.”  
  
James’s expression was torn between suspicion and confusion. Hope sighed. “As much as I appreciate your apology, it’s not necessary.”  
  
“But I yelled at you,” he said softly. “I don’t even know you, and I screamed in your face.”  
  
“I’m not fragile, James, I’ve been shouted at before,” she replied. “Trust me, you’ll be well aware when you’re due for an apology.”  
  
He nodded. “So you weren’t mad?”  
  
“No,” she said. He looked at her doubtfully. “Okay, so maybe at first I was a bit peeved.” He chuckled. “Okay, so I was furious. _But_ once I cooled off, I understood where you were coming from.”  
  
He smiled. “You’re different,” James said.  
  
“Different?” Hope asked, a hint of danger in her tone.  
  
James flushed. “Good different,” he said quickly.  
  
She snickered. “Well, so are you. I guess. Whatever ‘good different’ means.”  
  
“Can I ask you something?”  
  
“If it’s about Dorothy, I will walk right out of this room and back into the main room to find Fi’s present.”  
  
“I hope you find everything alright, ma’am, thanks for choosing Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes.”  
  
***  
  
Fiona was juggling a large, fluffy duvet and a wicker picnic basket in her arms as she slid down the slushy slope towards the Shrieking Shack. Even though the shack had been silent for decades, most people still avoided it if they could help it. The crumbling exterior and spooky stories were enough to keep most tourists lingering along the top of the hill with no interest of moving closer to the abandoned building.  
  
She cursed under her breath as she struggled to keep her balance, yet somehow made it to the shack without falling on her rear. Fiona approached a large hole in the side wall and shoved both the basket and blanket through before she pulled her body inside. If possible, she thought it was even colder inside the large main room of the shack. The air was heavy and dank, and the room was dark. Fiona picked up the blanket and shook it out, laying it out flat in the center of the creaky splintering floor, coughing as dust was released into the air. She cast a quick cleaning charm, siphoning the dust from all of the surfaces in the room.  
  
She lifted the basket and placed it on the blanket, then set to her task of making the shack a bit more romantic. First, she conjured a few jars and filled them with small, dancing blue flames and surrounded the blanket with them. Still shivering from the cold, she cast a warming charm and shrugged off her jacket, hanging it on a protruding nail. Fiona conjured a few wreaths to hang on the other bare walls, managing to slightly brighten the space. She smiled at her work. Peering up at the ceiling, her smile became a smirk as she flicked her wand and watched as a sprig of mistletoe grew and hung down from one of the rafters close to their makeshift entryway.  
  
“Perfect,” she mumbled.  
  
Suddenly, a loud crash mixed with some imaginative expletives shattered the quiet. “Louis?” she called, moving towards the hole. She poked her head out into the cold, finding him to be lying on his back in the snow, eyes closed. “Louis!” she cried, her voice high with concern. Fiona climbed out of the hole, cursing as the cold air bit her skin. She hurried over to him, kneeling beside him in the snow.  
  
Louis groaned, not bothering to open his eyes and look at her. “Today is _not_ my day.”  
  
She giggled, pulling him into a sitting position and helping him to his feet. “You are a bumbling oaf, Louis Weasley,” she said as she began brushing snow from his jacket. “I take it that Puddifoot’s didn’t go well?”  
  
Louis snorted. “As if it ever had a chance of going well.” He ran a hand through his hair, and then turned to look at her. “Where the bloody hell is your coat? Blimey, woman, are you trying to catch your death?” he snapped, wrapping his arms around her small frame, rubbing his gloved hands over her arms to warm her.  
  
Fiona melted into his warmth. “Inside. Warming charm.”  
  
“Of course,” he said irritably, ushering her back inside the Shrieking Shack, assisting her through the opening, then following suit. Fiona shivered as the warmth of the room enveloped her, and Louis draped his jacket around her shoulders. “Someone’s been busy,” he said as his eyes scanned the room. “You swiped food?”  
  
“I did not swipe it, the House Elves gave it to me,” she said defensively.  
  
He grinned. “Of course they did. Should we eat? I’m starved.”  
  
Fiona looked at him pointedly and gestured above her head.  
  
“What?” he asked, looking up. She smiled as she watched the grin spread across his face. “Hm. Wonder how that got there.”  
  
“No idea,” Fiona said, smiling as he stepped towards her. His arms wrapped around her waist, and she slid her hands up his arms to his neck. “But we certainly can’t disregard Christmas tradition, right?”  
  
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he said with a smirk. He leaned in towards her and, with his lips ghosting over hers, said, “You. Are. _Shameless_.”  
  
“You love it.”  
  
***  
  
Dorothy laughed as Freddie hissed when the cloth bag of ice touched his skin. “You’re such a baby, Freddie,” she teased.  
  
“I was _attacked_ ,” he implored, wincing as Dorothy held the ice pack to his forehead.  
  
“Perfectly reasonably,” Dorothy pointed out. “Honestly, Fred, Rox isn’t a second year anymore. She knows her fair share of hexes.”  
  
“And spends way too much time listening to Rose and Al,” he muttered darkly. “I have a contractual _duty_ —”  
  
“No, you don’t.”  
  
“—as an _older brother—_ ”  
  
“Here we go.”  
  
“—to protect my _innocent baby sister_ from any slimy git that tries something.”  
  
Dorothy sighed, shaking her head. “Honestly, Freddie, you’ve known Dave Humble since he replaced Trent York as the Quidditch announcer third year. He’s your friend.”  
  
“Not when his tongue is down Roxanne’s throat, he’s not,” Freddie snapped.  
  
“Roxanne is sixteen years old, Fred,” Dorothy reminded him. “She can take care of herself.”  
  
“What happened to you?”  
  
Freddie looked around Dorothy to see Hope slide into the booth across the table from them, arms laden with bags. “Nothing,” he grumbled as Dorothy said, “Roxanne.”  
  
“Your little sister?” Hope asked, a smirk pulling at her lips.  
  
“She was on a date with David Humble,” Dorothy explained. “Freddie decided he needed to intervene. Roxanne didn’t exactly agree.”  
  
“Dave Humble? The gorgeous Hufflepuff sixth year announcer?” Dorothy nodded. Hope grinned. “Go, Roxanne.”  
  
“It is not ‘Go, Roxanne,’” Freddie snapped. “It’s ‘Bad, Roxanne, boys have cooties, go play with your dolls or something.’”  
  
“Oh, Freddie. You really did earn that lump.”  
  
Freddie glared at Hope as she and Dorothy giggled. “Are you guys hungry?” Dorothy asked, changing the subject.  
  
“Shouldn’t we wait for Fiona?” Freddie asked.  
  
“Nah, she owled me a bit ago. Said O’Leary caught her in the corridor and deemed her ‘suspicious,’ whatever that’s supposed to mean. Anyway, she’s scrubbing the trophy room with a toothbrush, at the moment,” Hope said, waving her hand in the air dismissively.  
  
“Okay, I know my old man said that Argus Filch was a terror, but O’Leary is ridiculous,” Freddie said. “He had James and me in the Forbidden Forest by ourselves picking fungus for Patil’s stores as first years.”  
  
“Leering O’Leary,” Dorothy joked, chuckling at herself. “I don’t know who creeps me out more: O’Leary, or that damn bird. Looks half plucked for Christmas dinner.”  
  
“My precious _Petunia_ ,” Hope drawled in a rasp shockingly similar to O’Leary’s emphysema-induced wheeze.  
  
Freddie’s jaw dropped as he let out a loud guffaw. Dorothy laughed loudly alongside him. “How long have you been able to do _that?_ ”  
  
Hope shrugged nonchalantly. “Perfected it sixth year. When you spend as much time with him as Fi and I have because she can’t control herself, it’s pretty easy.”  
  
“She and Lou did get pretty crazy last term,” Freddie said. “I didn’t realize they got detention from O’Leary with their fights.”  
  
“Louis was only half of the problem,” Hope said, reading over the lunchtime menu. “She went on this crazy pranking spree after the holidays and practically lived in O’Leary’s office. And of course, I was with her… _most_ of the time.”  
  
Freddie furrowed his brow in confusion. “What did she even do?”  
  
Hope sighed. “Do you remember when the OWL examinations had to be delayed because the Great Hall had been flooded and was nearly impossible to drain?”  
  
Freddie groaned. “Remember it? I thought Rose was going to actually rip someone’s head off with her bare hands, she was so infuriated—” Freddie’s voice died as he looked up at Hope in shock. “That was _Fiona?_ ”  
  
“Unfortunately,” Hope said. “She nearly got expelled for that one.”  
  
Dorothy looked at Hope, her mouth agape. “When she told me she threw herself into pranking, I didn’t really believe it,” she said softly. “I’m impressed.”  
  
***  
  
Fiona absentmindedly allowed her hand to slide along Louis’s side as she snuggled up closer beside him on the blanket. His arm was tight around her shoulders, their legs intertwined, and her head rested upon his chest. His fingers were toying with the ends of her hair. “My first kiss was in Muggle school. Jerry Finkle came up to me at recess and we got fake married. But then he really kissed me, and I really punched him. He cried and told me he didn’t want to be married to me anymore. I was six years old. It was very traumatic.”  
  
Louis laughed softly, and Fiona smiled as his chest rumbled beneath her cheek. “He obviously didn’t know what he was getting into by marrying you,” he said. “Poor bloke.”  
  
“Poor _bloke?_ ” Fiona gasped. “I was divorced before the ceremony had even ended!”  
  
“Yeah, poor bloke,” Louis replied, pressing his lips to the top of her head. “He ran before he realized what a great girl he’d managed to snag.”  
  
Fiona looked up at him and smiled, a small blush painting her cheeks. “Merlin, you’re a sap.” She stretched towards him and pressed her mouth against his.  
  
“You love it,” he said cheekily, sneaking another quick kiss.  
  
She giggled. “I do.”  
  
Fiona settled back onto his chest, squeezing him slightly. “Can you believe this?”  
  
“What?” Louis asked, allowing his eyes to fall shut.  
  
“This,” she replied. “Us.” She let out a small laugh. “If someone had told me last year that this was my future, I would’ve sent them to St. Mungo’s for brain damage.”  
  
Louis chuckled. “I probably would’ve done the same.”  
  
“Probably?” Fiona asked.  
  
“Well, yeah, depending on when last year they told me,” he said. “If it was before the Tabitha Debacle, then off to St. Mungo’s for them. But after…or _during_ , really…” His voice fell to silence for a moment. “I think I would’ve been excited.”  
  
“So, in the Hospital when you were unconscious,” Fiona began, unsure of how to ask.  
  
But she didn’t need to, as Louis said, “Yeah. I was dreaming of you.” He paused for a moment. “I think that moment when I woke up and you were the one beside me, I knew.”  
  
“Knew what?” she murmured, just loud enough for him to hear.  
  
“That one day, we’d end up here,” he said softly. “That I fancied you, a lot. And that deep down, you fancied me, too.”  
  
Fiona allowed a comfortable silence to settle between them before she asked, “Why me?”  
  
“What do you mean?”  
  
Fiona sat up, looking down at her hands. Louis sat up as well, concern evident on his features. “You could’ve had any girl in school. Hell,” she said, her voice breaking. “You could have any girl in Britain if you wanted. Not only are you a Weasley, but you’ve got Veela blood. It effects everyone you come in contact with. Why would you pick me, the girl you used to hate, that was horrible to you, and put you in the Hospital Wing more than once? Merlin, Lou, it doesn’t make any bloody sense, and I swear if you’re joshing about this whole thing as one more cruel prank, I’ll never forgive—”  
  
Louis cut off Fiona’s rant by lifting her face to his and covering her mouth with his own. He pulled back and pressed his forehead to hers. “You’re sarcastic, completely mental, and nothing like anyone I’ve ever been with before. Yes, I hated you, and with bloody good reason. But all those things we used to do to each other? They’re in the past. They’re _our_ past. It showed me the strength of your mind and your heart, how you’re not afraid to be your own person and stand up for yourself. I’ve spent my entire life trying to figure out if people liked me for who I am, or for some ancient magic in my veins or for the family I was born into.  
  
“You’re different. You’ve always been different. From day one, you never lied to me or treated me any differently for who I was. You hated me because you just did, and you weren’t going to keep that a secret from anyone.” She blushed in embarrassment. He smiled. “It was nice knowing that your feelings for me were always genuine. I was always on my toes around you. I had never been hated before. Everything about you was completely foreign to me. You kept me guessing; I was never bored or anything more or less than my true self. So through all those hexes and arguments, I fell in love with that girl. That one girl who made me feel normal, not like a Veela or a Weasley. Just like a guy.”  
  
Fiona’s eyes were wide. “You…you _love_ me?”  
  
Louis’s face drained of all color immediately as he realized what he had said. “Uhh—”  
  
Before he could even try to pretend like he hadn’t professed his love for her, she threw herself in his arms, her lips firmly against his. He fell onto his back laughing, wrapping his arms around her as he kissed her back just as fervently. She pulled back for a moment, her cheeks red with a blush. “Sorry,” she said, softly. The lustful look in her eyes made him not believe her for a moment.  
  
“Don’t be,” he said grinning.  
  
“Did you mean it?” she asked, her voice small.  
  
Louis allowed his eyes to rake over her simply beautiful face, and he smiled. “Yeah,” he said, his voice hoarse and ragged. “I love you, Fiona Little.”  
  
A huge smile broke out across her face. “Good,” she said. “Because, for some reason, I love you, too, Louis Weasley.”  
  
Louis lifted a hand and tucked a strand of her dark hair behind her ear, resting his palm against her cheek to cup her face. She leaned into his hand, sighing contently. “So, do you believe this now? Is it real?”  
  
She nodded. “Yes, it’s real. It’s all so real it feels like a dream.”  
  
“Be my girlfriend. Come to the Christmas party,” he murmured, his face soft, yet serious.  
  
She froze for a moment. “How will your family react?”  
  
“Like crazed animals, I suppose,” he said softly, rubbing his calloused thumb over her cheek. “I understand if you’re not ready. But I want you there, even if you feel like you have to disguise yourself so they won’t recognize you. I just want you to be mine; I want to kiss you under the mistletoe in public and show you off. Because you’re mine.”  
  
Fiona nodded. “I won’t miss it. And I will not alter my appearance, because from now on, no one else is allowed to even consider calling you theirs, not even me with a different face. I want to take you to Puddifoot’s, Mr. Weasley. But can we keep this ours until the party? I awfully enjoy sneaking around with you.”  
  
Louis nodded, a small smile on his lips. “I awfully like sneaking around with you, too, Miss Little.”  
  
She leaned down and pressed her lips to his. “I’m glad. We’ll tell everyone everything then, when I’m finished with Healing Academy applications, and you’re finished with your big trip to Egypt.”  
  
He nodded. “It’s probably for the best.”  
  
Fiona nodded, licking her lips. “Probably.” She smiled at him, her heart racing. “I love you.”  
  
Louis grinned goofily. “I love you.”  
  
Fiona closed the space between them and sealed their lips together again. “Hope is going to _freak_.”


	18. I Just Don't Think I'm Ready

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Uncle Ron gave your family owl a mental handicap?"
> 
> "Mum still hasn't forgiven him for it."

Fiona Little couldn’t remember the last time she had been this happy. Even though Louis had left two days prior for the biggest trip of his career to date and wasn’t able to send her letters every day like normal, she knew deep in her heart that he loved her. Louis Weasley loved _her._ Just the thought put an embarrassingly idiotic grin on her face that she couldn’t seem to get rid of, no matter how hard she tried.  
  
But she was also scared out of her mind. She knew she had waited too long for Hope to just be happy for her and not angry, and with each passing day, Fiona knew her reaction would worsen. But as long as she planned out the reveal to the most minute detail, Hope wouldn’t be able to freak out. Hope had wanted this all along, anyway. Fiona wasn’t sure if she was more nervous to tell Hope, or Louis’s entire family.  
  
“So what are your plans for the holiday?” Dorothy asked a few days before break at dinner.  
  
“Oh, nothing,” Fiona said. “I’ll be stuck inside with my family for the majority of it. My sister’s bringing her fiancé to Christmas dinner, she’s already owled me seven times to make sure I’m there. Our parents haven’t met him yet.”  
  
“But I assume you have?” Freddie asked.  
  
Fiona nodded. “I visited her in Ireland over the summer. He’s good to her.”  
  
“Well, that’s more exciting than my holiday,” Hope said. “We were supposed to go skiing, but my parents told my brother to make the reservation at the lodge, and he forgot. So now, we’re stuck at home.”  
  
“What about you two?” Fiona asked.  
  
“Family Christmas, then the big party between Christmas and New Years,” Dorothy answered with a grin.  
  
“Big party?” Hope asked.  
  
“Yeah,” Freddie said. “Every year, the whole family gets together at the Burrow and celebrates the holidays so everyone can have their own traditions as well as family traditions. Dor and the Scamanders are practically family, so they come every year too.”  
  
“That sounds wild,” Hope said.  
  
“It is,” Dorothy replied with a laugh. “Every once and a while, someone brings a girlfriend or boyfriend, but only when they’re really serious about them. It’s the big relationship test.”  
  
Fiona’s face paled. “Test?” she asked.  
  
“Yeah,” Freddie said with a laugh. “If they can’t handle the Christmas party, they can’t be a Weasley. It always works.”  
  
“Remember when Dom brought that Durmstrang boy she met at the Ministry? I thought Uncle Ron was going to kill him.”  
  
Freddie laughed. “How could I forget Kristoff Krum? I think he cried in the middle of it. I hear he won’t even talk to Dom anymore.”  
  
“Who cares now that she’s so happy with Ashton Boot?” Dorothy replied. “Honestly, the party is magic all on its own.”  
  
Fiona felt like she was going to hurl. All thoughts of Hope’s reaction aside, what if she didn’t survive this party?  
  
“You two should come if you can,” Freddie said.  
  
Hope blinked. “Really?”  
  
“Yeah!” Dorothy exclaimed. “You both can come to my place and get ready, and then the three of us can all go together! And then everyone spends the night at the Burrow…oh, it’ll be so fun!”  
  
Hope beamed. “That’d be phenomenal!”  
  
Fiona forced a smile. “Yeah, sounds great!”  
  
***  
  
Dorothy smiled as House Elves bustled around her, making sure she had everything she needed. She had a large knife in her hand and was slicing some fudge for herself, Hope, and Fiona to indulge in later. “Is the Miss sure she would not like Winky to slice the fudge?” Winky asked her, eyes wide.  
  
Dorothy smiled down at the elf. “Yes, it’s quite alright. I don’t want to interfere with your preparations for dinner; I’ll be done in just a moment.”  
  
Winky nodded reluctantly and joined the rest of the elves, giving out orders for the night’s dinner. Being an older elf, Winky had much more experience and was respected among the Hogwarts House Elves.  
  
Just as Dorothy was about to cut the last slice of fudge, the kitchen door opened and a loud voice boomed, “Merlin, it smells brilliant in here!”  
  
With a gasp, the knife slipped, slicing deep into Dorothy’s thin finger. “Bugger!” she yelped, quickly searching for a towel of some sort to wrap around her finger.  
  
James’s attention snapped from the food to the blonde he hadn’t noticed at a far counter. “Dorothy?”  
  
She turned and shot him a grimace, clutching her heavily bleeding finger in her hand. “Cheers,” she said quickly, then turned back, looking for something to use as a bandage.  
  
James saw the blood and furrowed his brow, quickly striding towards her. “Circe, what’d you do, slice off your finger?”  
  
“Not on purpose!” she cried, her finger throbbing with pain. “Help me find a napkin or something to wrap it with.”  
  
“Let me see it,” James said, reaching out and grabbing her wrist gently, pulling her hands towards him.  
  
“James, I need to stop the blood, give me my hand back,” she said irritably as he pried her unharmed hand off of the wound. Pulling out his wand, he murmured a short healing spell, instantly causing the flow of blood to slow, and then stop completely. Dorothy watched in awe as her skin seemed to melt back together, leaving behind only a faint pink scar.  
  
“How did you…?” she wondered aloud as he shoved her hands in the nearest sink and flipped on the hot water.  
  
“Wash,” he instructed. He then set about sanitizing the countertop and knife she had been working with using a few spells.  
  
After Dorothy had finished scrubbing her hands, she patted them dry on her denims. She turned to James with curiosity etched all over her face. “I didn’t know you knew any healing spells,” she said softly. James turned around, the fudge she had been slicing packaged neatly in parchment paper.  
  
“My dad taught me,” he said simply, passing her the package. She took it as he continued: “Well, he taught all of us. Always said you never knew when you might need a healing charm. Some war thing, I suppose.”  
  
Dorothy nodded. “Well, I’m glad he did.”  
  
James nodded as well, a small smile playing on his lips. “It’s been a while since we’ve been alone,” he commented.  
  
Dorothy gulped. “Yeah, I guess it has. How’ve you been?”  
  
“Alright,” he says. “Lonely at some times, but alright.” Dorothy felt guilt pull at her heart. Freddie was James’s best friend, too, and he was obviously playing favorites by spending so much time in Hufflepuff. “You?”  
  
“I’m good,” she replied softly. “Sent in my Auror application a bit ago. Became an Animagus.”  
  
James smiled. “I heard about that, congratulations,” he said sincerely. “You’re a…a cat?”  
  
Dorothy nodded. “Yeah. Fiona thinks I’m adorable.”  
  
“You’ve always been adorable.”  
  
Dorothy blushed madly, and she began to run her fingers through the ends of her hair. “Uh—”  
  
“Do I make you nervous?”  
  
She swallowed thickly, and then nodded. James smiled. “There’s nothing to be nervous about Dorothy. It’s just me.”  
  
“It’s not _you_ ,” she said softly. “It’s…it’s how I feel when I’m around you.”  
  
“And how do you feel?” he asked, his eyes slightly desperate.  
  
Dorothy stared back at him, an overwhelming urge to just throw herself into his arms and be done with this giant emotional mess pulling at her. “I—,” she began, then faltered. She pushed past James, hurrying towards the exit. “I have to go. Thanks for, uh, my hand.”  
  
She then slipped out the door, leaving James alone in the kitchen. He sighed dejectedly, leaning against the counter. “Welcome,” he muttered. He looked at the ground and frowned, feeling his heart beat slow once again, as if his blood were thickening to molasses. With every step she took away from him, he felt his heart ache more and more.  
  
***  
  
The next morning at breakfast, James’s owl once again dropped a letter onto Dorothy’s plate. However, this letter was not addressed to Dorothy.  
  
“Lily?” Dorothy questioned out loud.  
  
“She’s over there,” Fiona grumbled through a mouthful of eggs.  
  
Dorothy shot Fiona a look of annoyance. “Thanks, Fi.” Fiona shot her a grin full of chewed food, and Dorothy grimaced. She snatched the letter up and stood, stuck her tongue out at Fiona, and made her way across the Great Hall to the Gryffindor table.  
  
“Lily,” she said, sliding into the open seat next to the red head. She chuckled slightly as Lily jumped, quickly wiping the drool threatening to drip from her mouth. “Good morning, sweetie.”  
  
“Sod off, Thee,” Lily groaned. “I fell asleep in the library around two.”  
  
Dorothy grinned toothily at her and said with a sigh, “Oh, fourth year…”  
  
“Shut. Up,” she groaned. “Mum will Avada me if I don't do well. I had Aunt Hermione send me revising schedules because you know I’m rubbish at exams and—”  
  
“Whoa, Lil, it’s okay to breathe,” Dorothy said, resting her hand on Lily’s shoulder. “Exams are months away. You’ll be fine. If your brother can pass, you can pass.” She gave Lily a reassuring smile. “Okay?”  
  
Lily took in a shaky breath and nodded. “Okay.”  
  
“I have your letter,” Dorothy said.  
  
“What?” Lily asked. Dorothy handed her the envelope. “No! Not again!”  
  
“Um…are you okay?” Dorothy asked.  
  
“That ruddy owl! I thought he grew out of this!”  
  
Dorothy bit her lip. “Um, I’m really not following you…”  
  
“He’s _senile!_ Bloody thing is an idiot!” she lamented. “Merlin, he was doing so well!”  
  
“Lily!” Dorothy snapped. Lily’s words froze in her mouth as she turned to Dorothy. “What are you going on about?”  
  
Lily sighed audibly. “When Hector was just a baby owl, Uncle Ron hit him with his auto. Ever since, he goes through phases of delivering to the wrong person. He’s been reliable for about a year and a half, which is the longest time yet, and we so hoped he’d grown out of it…”  
  
“Uncle Ron gave your family owl a mental handicap?” Dorothy asked.  
  
“Mum still hasn’t forgiven him for it.”  
  
Dorothy giggled. “Alright, well, I’ll see you later. Let me know if you need any help with revisions!”  
  
Lily smiled. “I’ll hold you to that!”  
  
“What were you doing over there with Lily?” Freddie asked, joining Dorothy in her walk back to the Hufflepuff table.  
  
“I got her letter in the post,” Dorothy said, wrapping her arm around his waist and pulling him down into the seat next to her.  
  
“Oh, Hector was doing so well!”  
  
“Was I the only one who didn’t know Hector was brain damaged?”  
  
***  
  
“Oi, Dor,” Freddie called across the Astronomy Tower. Dorothy turned around in the window she was standing in and smiled as Freddie approached her. “I’ve been looking all over for you. Trying to miss the train again?”  
  
Dorothy laughed at the memory of herself, James, and Freddie unsuccessfully chasing after the train, tripping over themselves and their luggage, in Hogsmeade station as mere second years, and then having to endure the embarrassing walk back to the castle to await their parents’ arrival in the Headmistresses office while Neville rode the train alone. “No, I’d rather not,” she said softly.  
  
Freddie smiled at her, and then moved past her to look out the window. “It’s really the best view of the grounds up here.”  
  
Dorothy turned her gaze out on the grounds, shoulder to shoulder with Freddie. Freddie shifted his gaze over to her and smiled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “Can you believe it?”  
  
Freddie sighed. “No,” he said softly. “Seems like just yesterday we were getting lost on the fifth floor and stranded on staircases.”  
  
“I don’t want this to be over.”  
  
Freddie stepped behind Dorothy and wrapped both arms around her torso. “I know. Things are going to change, but not this. Not us.”  
  
Dorothy leaned her head back against his shoulder, letting her hands rest on his arms. She looked up at him and asked, “Promise?”  
  
Freddie grinned, pressing his lips firmly against her temple. “I promise,” he whispered into her skin. “You are mine.”


	19. I Just Want to Impress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Fiona's dating Louis Weasley and keeping it a secret, discuss!"
> 
> "Margie! What happened to 'my lips are sealed'?"

“I’ll see you both at eleven on the twenty-eighth, right?” Dorothy asked as she, Hope, and Fiona grabbed their trunks from the Hogwarts Express.  
  
“I can’t wait!” Hope said, beaming. “My brother will be so jealous that I’m going to meet Harry Potter.”  
  
Fiona snorted. “You might have to get his autograph for him.”  
  
Hope laughed at Dorothy’s appalled expression. “My brother’s a big history buff,” she explained. “He’s obsessed with the Potter Ages; he’s actually working on a book going in depth about them. Interviewing a bunch of people from our parents’ time.”  
  
“I think my dad may have mentioned being contacted for an interview,” Dorothy said thoughtfully.  
  
“Wouldn’t doubt it,” Hope said as she attempted to help Fiona dislodge her trunk. “Frank’s talked to loads of people, even the bad ones.”  
  
“This _ruddy_ trunk!” Fiona grunted as it refused to budge.  
  
“How buried is it?” Dorothy asked.  
  
“Not buried enough to make this difficult,” Louis said, reaching around Fiona and yanking her trunk out with ease. He smirked at her and set it down. “It stopped being fun to watch after you hit the three minute mark.”  
  
“L-Louis,” she stammered, surprise evident on her face.  
  
He gave her a strange look. “You alright, Little?”  
  
Fiona shook her head slightly to orient herself, then sneered. “I didn’t need your help,” she spat.  
  
“Of course you didn’t,” he chuckled, turning away from the three of them. “It’s nice to see you girls,” he called as he sauntered away.  
  
Fiona growled audibly, her fist tight around the handle of her trunk. Hope sighed. “Go, you know you want to.”  
  
Fiona grinned. “I’ll see you both on the twenty-eighth.” She then lifted her trunk and stormed off, shouting, “Oi, Weasley! Not you, the _blonde_ moron!”  
  
Hope and Dorothy chuckled slightly to themselves. “Did she use his first name earlier?” Hope asked.  
  
Dorothy shrugged. “Wasn’t paying attention. I’ll catch you later? I’ve got to find Freddie, he’s my lift.”  
  
Hope nodded. “The twenty-eighth!”  
  
“The twenty-eighth,” Dorothy confirmed, disappearing into the crowd.  
  
***  
  
Once Louis felt he and Fiona were far enough away from the crowd not to be noticed, he ducked behind a pillar to wait. It didn’t take long for her to throw herself in his arms. “What are you doing here?” she demanded as she squeezed him tightly. “Aren’t you supposed to be in Egypt?”  
  
Louis wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, lifting her feet off of the ground and spinning her in a quick circle. “We finished early, so I thought I’d surprise you.”  
  
“You certainly did!” she said, leaning back enough to look in his bright blue eyes as her fingers got lost in his blonde locks. “I slipped up in front of Hope!”  
  
He grinned, pressing his lips tightly against hers. “I doubt she noticed. Merlin, I’ve missed you.”  
  
Fiona grinned. “Good. Prove it.”  
  
Deftly, Louis had pressed Fiona into the stone and captured her lips before she could even finish her demand. Fiona melted into his embrace and allowed him to work his magic over her.  
  
“We can’t be too long,” he said pulling back, smirking as Fiona’s lips followed his desperately.  
  
She nodded in agreement, and then asked, “Should I be nervous?”  
  
“Nervous about what?” he responded, placing soft kisses down her throat.  
  
“This Christmas party. Longbottom and Fred said it’s the ‘big couples test’,” she said, leaning her head back into the pillar to offer him more skin. “That you’d only bring someone you were really serious about, and if they don’t survive the party, they’ll never be a Weasley.”  
  
“Thinking about becoming a Weasley, are you?”  
  
Fiona smacked him lightly on his chest, causing him to chuckle. “You know what I mean. I don’t want us to be over before we’ve really begun, you know? They all think I’m going as Longbottom’s guest, are you sure you want to correct them?”  
  
Louis pressed his lips against hers. “No,” he said honestly. “But I know I won’t be able to keep my hands off of you or keep up this act for another second.”  
  
Fiona snorted. “Oh, yeah, that makes me feel loads better, Lou.”  
  
He shrugged. “I’m just being honest. Besides,” he said, pressing a kiss behind her ear. “I think you’d make a great Weasley.”  
  
***  
  
“Hey, Dorothy.”  
  
Dorothy turned to see James behind her. Her heart sped up almost immediately. “James,” she squeaked.  
  
“I’ll see you on the twenty-eighth, right?” There was a hopeful gleam in his eye.  
  
Dorothy forced a small smile. “Of course.”  
  
James nodded, not bothering to fight the grin spreading across his face. “Good.”  
  
The corners of Dorothy’s mouth turned up at his obvious pleasure. “Yeah.”  
  
The two stood silently in the crowd, simply smiling at each other as others bustled around them. “Dor!” Freddie called.  
  
The smile slipped off of Dorothy’s face as she snapped back into reality. She turned to look at Freddie, who was gesturing for her to come join him and his family. She turned back to James with her bottom lip between her teeth. “I’ve got to go,” she said.  
  
“Course,” he said. “I’ll see you soon.”  
  
Dorothy nodded. “Soon.”  
  
She picked up her trunk and pushed her way through the crowd, smiling as she reached Freddie, who immediately took her trunk from her hands and placed it on a trolley with his own. “Were you talking to James?”  
  
“Yeah,” she said, shrugging. “He wanted to know if he’d see me at the party.”  
  
Freddie nodded and grunted noncommittally. “Ready?”  
  
Dorothy grinned at him. “Of course.”  
  
***  
  
After detangling herself from Louis’s embrace, Fiona began making her way through the crowd to search for her family. “Oi, Fi!”  
  
Fiona turned to see her older sister, Margie, waving wildly. Fiona’s eyes widened. “Margie?”  
  
“Hey!” Margie cried, wrapping her younger sister in a hug. Fiona dropped her trunk and hugged her sister tightly. “What are you doing here? I thought you and Liam weren’t supposed to get a Portkey until tomorrow.”  
  
“Liam bought train tickets so I we’d get home at the same time as you,” Margie said, releasing her sister. “Can you believe it? We travelled like Muggles! The last time I took a train was coming home from my seventh year. He said he wanted to take pictures of the country, but I know it was because he knew how upset I was that we couldn’t get a Portkey today.”  
  
Fiona grinned. “That’s so sweet.” She peered around, then asked, “Where is he, anyway?”  
  
“Oh, he had a list of places he wanted to shoot. I figured we could spend a little sister-sister time together, anyway,” Margie said with a grin, linking arms with Fiona and dragging her off of the platform. “When’s the last time I saw you, July?”  
  
“Must’ve been, that’s when I went out to see your cottage on the Irish coast,” Fiona said, nudging her sister. “How is it that you found a bloke who just _happened_ to have inherited your dream house from his great-grandmother?”  
  
“Don’t you know? I’m only marrying him for his parent’s money,” Margie teased. Fiona chuckled. “Anyway, less about me! Who have you been snogging?” Fiona’s eyes widened as she immediately began to deny her sister’s accusations, but Margie only laughed. “Don’t bother, I saw you and Louis Weasley poking out from behind that pillar looking absolutely _ravaged_ , and I want every single detail! Pub?”  
  
Fiona nodded. “Pub.”  
  
***  
  
“Mum!” Hope cried as she spotted her mother in the crowd. “Dad, Frank!”  
  
Hope reached her family and immediately hugged her mother, then her father. “Where is he?” Franklin asked immediately.  
  
“Who?” Hope questioned.  
  
“Who do you think?” he replied. “Harry Potter, the Chosen One, the Boy Who Lived, the Saviour—”  
  
“Harry Potter would have sufficed, Frank,” Hope said, rolling her eyes. “And he’s over there, with his family, like he is every year.”  
  
“But this year, you’re friends with his son,” Franklin pushed.  
  
“I am not friends with his _son,_ I’m friends with his nephew and fake niece.”  
  
“Close enough,” Franklin snapped. “Introduce me! There is absolutely no way I have a chance of getting published without his input, you know that—”  
  
“I don’t know him!” Hope cried.  
  
“You’re going to the Burrow for their Christmas party!” Franklin exclaimed. “Do you know how long I’ve wanted to see the Burrow?”  
  
“Calm down, Franklin,” Hope’s father said with a rumbling laugh. “Not this time, but soon enough, you’ll get that interview. You always do.”  
  
“Let’s get home, I’ve got dinner in the oven.”  
  
Hope grinned. “Race ya!” She immediately Disapparated.  
  
***  
  
Dorothy was unpacking her trunk in her bedroom when Freddie burst in and flopped face first into her bed. “Merlin’s beard, I missed you.”  
  
Dorothy laughed. “We’ve been apart for less than an hour.”  
  
“Not you,” he snapped. “Your _bed._ ” He moaned happily, curling into her sheets and stretching out along her mattress.  
  
“Not this again.”  
  
“It’s just so perfect,” he breathed. “You should probably leave, Dor, I’m about to make sweet love to this thing.”  
  
Dorothy laughed out loud. “Like hell you are, Weasley.”  
  
“You can’t stop me, woman.” Dorothy rolled her eyes and reached for her wand that she had set inside the lid of her trunk. She pointed it at Freddie, who was still murmuring words of adoration into her pillow, and flicked it, sending his body flying off of it and into the wall. He yelled and let out a string of harsh curse words, groaning as his body hit the floor. “What the bloody hell was that?”  
  
She smiled. “Something I’ve been working on. Found it in an old defense book in the back of the library.”  
  
Before Freddie could reply, Hannah called up the stairs, “What was that?”  
  
“Dor magically threw me across her bedroom!” Freddie said, glaring at his snickering best friend.  
  
“Dorothy Alice Longbottom!” Hannah shouted. “Your dessert tonight is going to Freddie! Honestly, Thee, what goes through that head of yours?”  
  
Dorothy’s eyes widened. “Mum! He’s _fine!_ He’s just a big baby!”  
  
“I don’t want to hear it, young lady!”  
  
Dorothy groaned and chucked a shoe at Freddie, who was still lying against the wall. “Tattle tale.”  
  
“It’s not my fault I’m her favorite child.”  
  
***  
  
Margie and Fiona appeared with a loud pop in their childhood backyard after their sisterly bonding date. “Don’t tell mum or dad, alright? I’ll tell them later. You know how they get.”  
  
Margie smiled at her sister. “My lips are sealed.”  
  
The two entered their small home and were immediately overwhelmed with fragrances of a roast in the oven. “Mum? Are you cooking?” Fiona called as she and Margie wandered towards the cluttered kitchen.  
  
“There you two are!” Jackie Little exclaimed, bustling out of the kitchen. “The train got in hours ago, did neither of you think to send me a Patronus to let me know you would be getting home so late?”  
  
Fiona and Margie shrunk a bit under their mother’s badgering, feeling guilty. “Why are you cooking?” Margie asked, changing the subject as they followed their mother back into the kitchen.  
  
“Did someone die?” Fiona inquired as she hopped up onto an empty patch of counter space.  
  
“Fiona, you’d better watch that smart arse attitude,” Jackie said threateningly, waving her wooden spoon in Fiona’s face.  
  
Fiona grinned cheekily at her mother. “I’ve got to remind you why you missed me in the first place.” She leaned over and pecked her mother’s cheek. “It’s nice to see you, mum.”  
  
Jackie smiled fondly at her youngest daughter. “It’s nice to see you too, Fiona.” She turned back to stir a sauce in a pot on the stove before turning to Margie. “So, where is this fiancé of yours?”  
  
“He’s probably out taking photos,” Margie responded. “He’ll be here before supper.”  
  
“He’d best be here before your father arrives,” Jackie said. “We’re not exactly thrilled we have yet to meet this boy, Margie, especially since you’ve decided to marry him. You’re working as a barmaid, he takes pictures; how in Merlin’s name are the two of you supposed to live off of those measly wages? And once _kids_ come into the picture—”  
  
“Fiona’s dating Louis Weasley and is keeping it a secret, _discuss!_ ” Margie squeaked.  
  
“ _Margie!_ ” Fiona cried. “What happened to ‘my lips are sealed’?”  
  
“I’m going to go get Liam, I’ll be back soon!” Margie said, slipping out of the kitchen and mouthing apologies to her sister.  
  
Fiona groaned and ran a hand through her hair. “You’re dating a Weasley?” Jackie asked.  
  
Fiona turned to her mother and nodded. “His name is Louis. He graduated last year and works under his dad as a Curse Breaker for Gringotts.”  
  
Jackie nodded slowly. “That’s the one you’ve hated since you began school, correct?” Fiona bit her lip and nodded quickly. Jackie turned back to her sauce. “I’ll expect him for dinner, then.”  
  
Fiona blinked. “What?”  
  
“Bring him to dinner,” Jackie repeated. “I’d like to know what’s so special about Louis Weasley that you can loathe him for six years, and then fall for him once he leaves.”  
  
Fiona slid off of the counter and nodded. “I’ll go send him an owl.”  
  
***  
  
“I could maim you right now,” Fiona growled as she paced on the back porch, anxiously awaiting Louis’s arrival.  
  
Margie was leaning against the pale blue siding of house behind her sister. “How many times do I have to apologize? You heard her, going on and on…” Margie sighed. “You would’ve had to tell her eventually.”  
  
“And you’ll have to face all those things she brought up eventually,” Fiona shot back.  
  
“I know,” Margie said, walking towards her sister and resting her hands on Fiona’s shoulders, stopping her. Fiona left her hands fall on the paint chipped railing in front of her. “But that’s for Liam and me to figure out, not me and mum.”  
  
“Lou and I don’t talk about family much,” Fiona said, her gaze glued to the magically warmed wood beneath her bare feet. “I’m not sure if he knows mum and dad are divorced.”  
  
Margie squeezed her little sister’s shoulders and said, “You’d have had to tell him eventually.”  
  
When Fiona didn’t respond, Margie turned and walked back towards the house. “I’d better go check on Liam. Make sure he’s holding up alright. Dad should be here soon.”  
  
Fiona nodded, and Margie slipped back inside the house, letting the screen door slam behind her. Sighing, Fiona stepped down the first step off the porch and sat, rubbing her hands anxiously over her denims, trying to find comfort in the heat it created. “Merlin, where is he?” she muttered under her breath. She hastily checked her watch for the fourth time in the past ten minutes and groaned, then stood quickly and turned towards her home to go back inside to wait for him when there was a pop behind her.  
  
“Not giving up on me that quickly, are ya?” Louis asked. Fiona could hear the smirk in his playful tone.  
  
She turned to him and her eyes widened. “What are you wearing?” Louis was in an Oxford button down with a tie tucked into his best denims.  
  
He shrugged. “I wanted to make a good impression,” he said, walking towards her. He pulled out a bouquet of red roses from behind his back. “For you,” he said, pecking her cheek.  
  
Fiona grinned and took the flowers, kissing him hard on the mouth. “You’re such a suck up.”  
  
“At least I can keep my mouth shut,” he teased. “What happened to keeping it a secret until after the party?”  
  
Fiona rolled her eyes. “My older sister. My mum was hounding her about her fiancé and her life plans, so she used us as a distraction.”  
  
Louis nodded. “I see,” he said, taking her hand. “Should we head inside?”  
  
Fiona placed her hand on his chest to stop him. “First,” she began, biting her lip. “My parents aren’t like yours, or at least, what I assume yours are like. My dad’s a Muggle and my mum’s a witch. He was alright when there was just one magic person in the house, but when my sister and I started showing, it drove him a little mad. They’ve been divorced for almost six years now, but he still gets kind of aggravated around magic, so we don’t really use it around him. None of them think before they speak, and I understand completely if you just want to head home—”  
  
Louis cut her off with his lips. Fiona melted into his embrace, her hands loose in his blonde locks. He pulled back and pressed his forehead against hers. “Shut up, Little.”  
  
She smiled. “That’s probably for the best.”  
  
“You want to head inside?” Louis asked her softly, his hands gently caressing her sides.  
  
“No,” she said, her voice small.  
  
He laughed and kissed her quickly, then pulled away and wrapped his arm around her waist to lead her inside. “Come on, Little.”  
  
“You’re a pain in the arse, Weasley,” she said, rolling her eyes.  
  
He pressed a kiss to her temple. “But I’m _your_ pain in the arse.”  
  
Fiona pushed open the creaky screen door and entered the house, leading Louis past mismatched wooden dining room furniture and into the kitchen. “Mum, this is Louis Weasley. Lou, this is my mum, Jackie.”  
  
Jackie turned towards Louis, who shot her a large smile. “Hello, Mrs. Little,” he said, holding out his hand. “Thank you for inviting me for dinner.”  
  
Jackie smiled and took his hand. “Of course, Louis,” she said.  
  
“Mum, where are the vases?” Fiona asked as she rummaged through cabinets.  
  
Jackie turned to look at the flowers her daughter had laid on the counter. “You spoil her, Louis,” Jackie said, summoning a vase from a cabinet on the other side of the kitchen nonverbally and handing it to Fiona.  
  
Louis shrugged. “I just like to see her smile.”  
  
Fiona blushed and looked down at the roses to trim the ends. She placed them inside the vase and filled it with water from her wand. She peered up at Louis to see his eyes were glued on her, a small smile pulling at his lips. She bit down hard on her lower lip to restrain her grin.  
  
“Fi! The match is on!” Margie called from the other room.  
  
Fiona grinned. “Call if you need anything, mum,” she said, grabbing Louis’s hand and dragging him into the living room.  
  
***  
  
Dorothy sat at the end of the dining table beside George. Roxanne had claimed the end seat and Freddie was across from her, kicking at her shins when no one was paying attention. “So, Thee,” Angelina asked from beside Freddie, who was happily munching on Dorothy’s slice of pie. “What’s this I hear about you applying for the Hallows Program?”  
  
Dorothy’s eyes widened as Hannah asked, “What?”  
  
“It’s just a long shot,” Dorothy said quickly. “There’s no way I’ll be accepted, so I figured, why not. It doesn’t affect my Academy application, and Professor Finch-Fletchley recommended it.”  
  
“Why didn’t you tell me that?” Hannah asked.  
  
Dorothy shrugged. “Must’ve slipped my mind,” she said. “Sorry, mum.”  
  
“Have you seen her Animagus form yet?” Freddie said, grinning at Dorothy’s obvious discomfort. “She’s adorable.”  
  
“We already knew that, Fred,” George said, poking Dorothy’s side playfully. He laughed at Dorothy’s high pitched squeak.  
  
“I haven’t!” Roxanne piped up excitedly. “Even Lily’s seen it, Thee, and you like me way more than her.”  
  
Dorothy laughed. “She only saw it because she found me taking a cat nap in the rafters and decided to ‘save me.’ She nearly killed both of us.”  
  
George laughed. “You take cat naps?”  
  
Dorothy blushed violently. “They’re very relaxing!”  
  
“Show us all your form, honey,” Hannah said proudly. “I’m sure Angie and George would love to see it.”  
  
“Why are we just talking about my accomplishments?” Dorothy asked, disliking all of the attention. “Freddie created a new potion to add to the explosive products that removes all heat and flame to make them safer for children.”  
  
George’s eyes widened. “You did?”  
  
“ _Almost_ ,” Freddie said, glaring at Dorothy. He then turned to his father’s expectant face. “If it touches bare skin, it causes severe blisters. I’m still trying to work that out.”  
  
George smiled thoughtfully. “Have you tried adding Murtlap Essence?”  
  
Freddie thought for a moment. “No, but that might do the trick.”  
  
“How about tomorrow after the shop is closed we take a look?” George asked, his excitement obvious. “You think I have everything we’ll need in the stores?”  
  
Freddie nodded. “Yeah, probably.” He then grinned. “Let’s do it.”  
  
“This’ll be revolutionary!”  
  
“I still want to see Dorothy as a cat,” Roxanne said, swiping a bite of her brother’s pie.  
  
***  
  
Teddy knocked on James’s door and pushed it open; peering in at the boy who had been like his little brother since before he could remember. James peeked over the top of his copy of Quidditch Through The Ages and smiled. “Hey, Ted,” he said, setting his book aside. “What’s up?”  
  
Teddy closed the door and leaned against it. “Albus tells me you’re trying to shag Thee Longbottom,” he said bluntly.  
  
James blinked. “What?”  
  
“You heard me.”  
  
James stood, the smile he had been wearing seconds earlier replaced with a deep frown. “I’m not trying to shag her.” Teddy raised an eyebrow. “Okay, I’m not _just_ trying to shag her, happy? There’s more to it than that.”  
  
“Care to explain?” Teddy pressed impatiently. “Al’s decided your pursuit of Thee is going to disrupt the natural order of the world.”  
  
“That’s a tad melodramatic,” James muttered darkly.  
  
“Yeah,” Teddy agreed. “But when it comes from Al and not Lily, you tend to do some digging. When’s the last time you talked to Freddie?”  
  
James glared at Teddy. “That’s not my fault.”  
  
“Course it is, you wanker,” Teddy snapped. “Thee has been Freddie’s since they were toddlers. Everyone knows that.”  
  
“He doesn’t own her,” James shot back. “Nothing is written in stone, she’s allowed to have her own feelings?”  
  
“And let me guess, you think those feelings are directed towards you?” Teddy said.  
  
“Yeah, I do!” James exclaimed. “Not only has she been in love with _me_ since we were kids, but she has never even looked at Fred as more than a brother. She snogs _me_. The only reason we aren’t together is because she’s scared of Fred’s reaction.”  
  
“Has she told you all of this?”  
  
James faltered. “One can… _assume_.”  
  
Teddy snorted. “Or maybe she doesn’t like you.”  
  
“She loves me!” James shouted. “I know she does!”  
  
“And how do you know?” Teddy countered.  
  
“Because she always has!” James replied. “And I love her, so she has to still love me…Merlin, there needs to be a chance that she still does…”  
  
Teddy sighed, frowning as James tried to convince himself there was hope for himself and Dorothy. “James, you aren’t the greatest at relationships. Your track record with girls leaves a lot to be desired.”  
  
“I’ve had a long term relationship,” James reminded him.  
  
“And you cheated on her twice,” Teddy pointed out.  
  
“One of those times was Dorothy,” James said quickly.  
  
“What happens if you’re with Thee, a girl you’ve already hurt, and you fall for someone else? Claim it’s true love, the way you think this with Thee is true love. What then? Are you going to cheat on Thee?”  
  
“Of course not!”  
  
“Did you ever think you would cheat on Jen?”  
  
“Well, no…”  
  
“Exactly,” Teddy said. “Look, James, Thee’s different. She’s family. You can’t fuck around with her. Your relationship with her and your relationship with Fred depends on that. I’m not going to tell you not to go for it, but you may want to take some time to make sure this is really what you want.”  
  
“She is,” James said softly. “She’s all I want.”  
  
Teddy nodded. “Don’t be stupid, James.”  
  
***  
  
Tired of listening to Liam wooing her father, Fiona entered the kitchen to find Louis and her mother singing an old Weird Sisters song together as they did the dishes the Muggle way. She stopped in the doorway to watch the two of them, a small smile pulling at her lips as she leaned up against the door frame.  
  
“Fiona, shelve the glasses, would you?” her mum asked, gesturing to the stack of dried glasses Louis had just created.  
  
Louis looked up from his poor dance moves and smiled. “Hey,” he said stupidly.  
  
She smirked, grabbing a few glasses to place back in the cupboard. “Hey, yourself.” She spun out of his reach to get to the opposite counter giggling, an action which Louis returned with a loud smack of his hand towel on her rear. She gasped in surprise. “Louis Weasley!”  
  
“What?” he asked innocently, drying the plate Jackie handed him.  
  
“You are a cheeky git, Weasley,” she said in a warning tone, fire dancing in her eyes.  
  
He grinned and Fiona’s mother laughed. “That’s the last of them, Louis. I’ve got to go interrogate the fiancé now, you two be good.”  
  
Fiona smiled. “I’m always good, mum.”  
  
“That’ll be the day.”  
  
Once Jackie had left the room, Fiona turned to Louis. “She likes you.”  
  
Louis shrugged. “Comes with the Veela territory.”  
  
She smacked him playfully on the arm. “Not like that,” she said, laughing at the waggle of his eyebrows. “She actually likes you. I’m impressed.”  
  
“You didn’t think she would?”  
  
“If you hadn’t noticed, she’s just like me,” Fiona said.  
  
Louis advanced on Fiona, pressing the small of her back into the countertop. “All the more reason for her to love me,” he said, bending his head and pressing an open mouth kiss beneath her earlobe. Fiona shuddered and allowed him to lift her onto the counter. Louis stepped between her legs, his mouth ravaging her neck.  
  
“I’m just relieved this went so well,” Fiona sighed, leaning her head back to offer him more of her skin.  
  
“Come to dinner at Shell Cottage tomorrow.” His demand was a loving whisper into her skin.  
  
“What?” she asked, pushing him off of her. “Are you sure?”  
  
Louis smiled. “Maman will be furious if she does not get to meet you properly before I bring you to the party. They can keep a secret.”  
  
Fiona smiled. “Okay.”  
  
“Fiona, Louis, I don’t hear dishes being put away!” Jackie called from the other room.  
  
Fiona giggled as Louis replied, “On it, Ms. Little!”  
  
***  
  
Hope was lying on her bed with her head hanging off the edge, staring at the Quidditch play she had just doodled on her wall. She’d been staring at it for almost an hour, trying to figure out where the third Chaser would be.  
  
Her concentration was interrupted by an owl landing unceremoniously upon her chest.  
  
Screeching with fear, Hope flipped off of her bed and scrambled backwards, leaving a very confused owl in a heap on the floor. Trying to catch her breath, she moved towards it slowly, recognizing it to be Fiona’s owl, Pandora. “You piece of shit bird,” she muttered, snatching the response from its leg.  
  
 _Hopie,_  
  
 _I can’t come today, something big just came up. Well, I think it’s big. I promise to tell you all about it in person after the Christmas party once I see where it goes. How’s tomorrow for you?_  
  
 _Also, for Merlin’s sake, stop working on plays. Go outside, take a fly, meet a man… You know, all those relaxing things you’re supposed to do while on holiday? Even Franklin has stopped stalking Harry Potter for a few minutes to take Crystal on a date. If he’s out and you’re not, that’s just sad._  
  
 _I’ll see you soon, love._  
  
 _Fi_  
  
Hope sighed and summoned a piece of parchment from her desk, scrawling a reply that _Yes, tomorrow’s splendid,_ and _Hop off, woman, you know Quidditch is my boyfriend._  
  
As an afterthought, she added, “By the way, your bloody bird attacked me. Kill it with fire.”  
  
She fastened her reply to Pandora’s foot and threw her out the window more violently than necessary. Hope sighed and latched the window, then fell face first into her bed. She rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling, curious as to what had come up and why Fiona hadn’t included it in her letter. Especially why she was going to tell her _after_ the party.  
  
Hope groaned and flung her duvet over her head, wishing time would pass faster and it would be the twenty-eighth already so she, Fiona, and Dorothy could be together and overly girly for the party and she would have something to _do._  
  
“Hope!” Hope’s father called up the stairs. “Want to go for a fly?”  
  
Hope lifted the duvet off of her head. “ _Yes._ ”  
  
***  
  
Because Shell Cottage had so many wards set up, Fiona was sitting in her bedroom, waiting for Louis to come pick her up for dinner with his family. Determined to make just as good of an impression on Louis’s family as he had on hers, she had decided to don a nice floral dress with a brown leather jacket, a blue infinity scarf, and tights.  
  
She hated tights.  
  
Tapping her foot anxiously as she pulled at the patterned tights on her legs that she assumed Hope must’ve left behind after one of her visits, she peered into her vanity mirror again, making sure she looked perfect. She only had one shot at making a first impression with the Weasleys, and she didn’t want to screw it up.  
  
“Fiona!” Margie shouted up the stairs. “Louis is here!”  
  
Fiona squeaked involuntarily and felt herself start sweating with nerves. Surely his family knew of their past relationship and everything she had done to him. There was no way they were going to approve of a sharp tongued Hufflepuff for their only son. It was better for her to stay here in her bedroom than to subject all of them to the horrific events that were sure to fill the evening.  
  
“Fiona!”  
  
Fiona had made up her mind. There was no way in hell she was going to the Weasleys for dinner, and nothing and no one could change that.  
  
There was a knock at her door. “Fiona?” Louis asked softly.  
  
Oh, bollocks.  
  
Louis pushed the door open to see Fiona sitting on the bed, pale and shaky. “Oh, Fi,” he said, a small laugh escaping his lips. “Are you nervous?”  
  
She shot him a harsh glare. “Of course I’m nervous!” she snapped venomously. “What do you expect, me to be up here pooping rainbows of excitement over meeting your family, who probably all hate me already?”  
  
Louis smiled at her, sitting beside her on the bed. “You don’t think I was nervous?”  
  
“Of course not, you’re Louis bloody Weasley,” she muttered darkly. “Any parent would beg you to date their child. Me on the other hand? You’ve picked yourself a real winner.”  
  
“I like to think so,” he said grinning.  
  
“Don’t grin at me!” she demanded. “I’m very upset with you and your… _perfection_ at the moment! What if they don’t like me?”  
  
Louis wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his chest, pressing him lips into her temple. “Fi, they’re going to love you.”  
  
She looked up at him frowning. “Are you sure?”  
  
He smiled. “Well, we’ll never find out if we stay here, will we? They’re all very excited to meet you.”  
  
Fiona groaned. “Great.”  
  
Louis laughed and stood, holding out his hand to help her stand. “And I was terrified of meeting your mother, Fi. I knew my old Veela charms wouldn’t work on her.”  
  
“How’d you know that?” Fiona asked, sliding her feet into a pair of flats.  
  
“They didn’t work on you, did they?” He cupper her face in his hand and brought his lips to hers. “You look beautiful, by the way.”  
  
Fiona smiled. “Gotta lay on the charm, right?”  
  
Louis rolled his eyes and Disapparated. “Louis!” Fiona groaned, stumbling. “Warn a girl, would you?”  
  
He chortled behind her, linking her arm in his as they started walking up the hill towards the cottage. “You never let me have any fun.”  
  
“I’ll show you fun when I vomit all over you. Merlin, Lou,” she said, rubbing her head and stumbling along beside him. “You’re such a troll.”  
  
“Troll, haven’t heard that one in a while,” he said grinning.  
  
“It’s a classic,” she responded, rolling her eyes. “And it’s quite accurate.”  
  
Louis scowled at Fiona who shot him a smirk as they reached the door to the cottage. Louis reached forward and pushed it open and said, “After you.”  
  
Feelings of the sea immediately overcame Fiona like a wave crashing onto the sand. The inside of the cottage was decorated to compliment the small private beach Fiona had noticed when she and Louis were outside. The walls were a sandy tan paired with blue furniture and trimmings. The main thing that Fiona noticed was that the simple elegance of Louis’s childhood home shared no resemblance with her own mismatched and rickety house.  
  
“Wow,” she breathed, the nerves in her stomach only seeming to intensify at the richness of her surroundings. She felt very out of place in such an obviously wealthy home. “It’s beautiful.”  
  
“ _Merci_ ,” a voice floated from the other side of the room. Fiona looked up to see who she could only assume to be Louis’s mum. “Welcome to our home.”  
  
“Thank you, Mrs. Weasley,” Fiona said shakily. “I really appreciate the invitation.”  
  
“Well, as you can imagine, my husband and I were very… _curious_ about you. We’ve certainly heard plenty.”  
  
Fiona paled and Louis spat, “ _Maman!_ ”  
  
Fleur gave the two of them a large smile, but Fiona felt even colder beneath it. “Louis!” a shrill voice cried from another room accompanied by the pounding of rapid footfalls. “Is she here?” A blonde head poked out from the top of the staircase and squeaked. “I can’t believe you brought home a _girl!_ ”  
  
Louis cursed under his breath as the girl Fiona vaguely recalled to be Dominique Weasley slid down the banister in a pair of sweatpants and a baggy tee shirt, her blonde locks messily pulled into a bun on top of her head. Dom jumped to her feet and bounded in front of Fiona. “I remember you! Dom Weasley. I have no clue what you see in my idiot brother, but it’s nice to finally meet you!”  
  
Fiona smiled and took the hand Dom had outstretched, laughing in surprise as Dom shook it vigorously. “It’s nice to meet you, too.”  
  
“You were always one of my favorite munchkins, giving Lou here a hard time—”  
  
“Dom, shut up,” Louis implored, cursing in French. Fiona risked a peek at Fleur, who seemed very unimpressed. “Shouldn’t you be getting ready for dinner?”  
  
“Scared I’ll embarrass you in front of _ton petit chou-chou?_ ” Dom cooed mockingly, placing her hands on her hips and smirking at her younger brother. “Don’t worry, I already have all the best baby pictures selected for later.”  
  
“ _Dom—_ ” Louis began dangerously. Fiona squeezed his hand tightly, causing him to look from Dom for a moment. She smiled, and he couldn’t help but smile back.  
  
“Oh, Merlin, that was disgusting,” Dom moaned, storming back up the stairs. “I liked her more when she hexed you!”  
  
Fleur clacked her tongue distastefully and made her way back into the kitchen to finish preparing dinner. “Want to go outside?” Louis asked. Fiona nodded eagerly.  
  
The two made their way around the back of Shell Cottage to a hammock magically sustained in the air. “I’m sorry about them,” Louis said, sitting down. He held his hand out to Fiona. “I should’ve warned you that they’re all mental.”  
  
She shrugged as she sat beside him. “I should’ve expected your mother to have some hard feelings. And Dom’s just an older sister.”  
  
Louis wrapped his arm around Fiona and pulled her against him. “They’re going to love you.”  
  
***  
  
As the dinner dishes were whisked magically off of the table, Fiona knew one thing for sure. Louis’s family did _not_ love her. Dominique had spent the evening retelling her favorite horror stories from Louis and Fiona’s past, each word deepening the dark look of disdain on Fleur’s face while Victoire and Bill tried and failed to keep the dinner from derailing.  
  
Once the table had been cleared, Bill rose with a stretch. “That was great, love,” he said, a smile brightening his marred face. “Anyone up for some Quidditch in the yard?”  
  
“There is still dessert,” Fleur fussed at her husband. “Why don’t you wait in the living room while I prepare it?”  
  
Louis took Fiona’s hand to lead her into the living room, but Fiona shook her head. “I’m going to see if your mum needs any help.”  
  
Louis kissed her cheek, relieved she hadn’t given up on his mum. As Louis, Dominique, Victoire, and Bill scurried up the stairs to retrieve their gear for later, Fiona hesitantly made her way into the kitchen. “Mrs. Weasley?” she said softly. “Do you need any help with dessert?”  
  
Fleur didn’t even look up from the cream she was whipping as she curtly said, “ _Non_.”  
  
Fiona grimaced, and then looked from Fleur to the sink of dirty dishes sitting in the sink on the opposite side of the kitchen. She could vaguely hear Louis and his sisters shouting at each other upstairs. Without Fleur’s notice, Fiona picked up a sponge and began to scrub a China plate the Muggle way, slowly rubbing the food from its surface.  
  
“What are you doing?” Fleur insisted, slamming the bowl of cream on the counter.  
  
Fiona jumped, splashing herself slightly with soapy water. “Uh, washing dishes?” she said nervously. “You said you didn’t need help with the dessert, so I thought—”  
  
“I don’t need _your_ help!” Fleur snarled dangerously. “Especially with plates as delicate as these!”  
  
“That’s why I was cleaning them the Muggle way,” Fiona said quickly. “My mum always says that with expensive China, it’s safer to clean them by hand to avoid damage—”  
  
“ _Je ne m’inquiète pas! Vous êtes dans chez moi!_ ” Fleur snapped, storming towards Fiona to rip the still-wet plate out of her hand. As she did so, the plate slipped out of their grasps and shattered against the tile floor. Fleur stared wide eyed at the shattered porcelain and Fiona let out a small squeak. “ _Vous sotte,”_ she grumbled beneath her breath.  
  
“What in Merlin’s name is going on down here?” Bill demanded as he entered the kitchen. Seeing the destruction of the plate, he asked, “What happened?”  
  
“She broke my plate!” Fleur snapped.  
  
“I was just trying to help,” Fiona said weakly, her eyes downcast.  
  
“I have had it with this girl, Bill!” Fleur shouted at her husband, ignoring the fact that Fiona was still in the kitchen. “First, she spends her time at Hogwarts terrorizing and antagonizing our son—”  
  
“Is that what all this is about?” Fiona asked, the rage pumping through her veins helping her to find her voice. “About my past with Louis?”  
  
Fleur looked surprised that Fiona was speaking again. “ _Fermez la bouche,_ ” Fleur said slowly.  
  
“No,” Fiona said, getting even angrier. “I will not shut my mouth, Mrs. Weasley.” Fleur’s eyes widened. Fiona smirked. “Yes, I know French. I learned it so I could understand what Louis said about me when we fought, because all those times when I was ‘terrorizing and antagonizing’ your son were _not_ one-sided affairs. I know that he and I have history and I know that you probably hate me for all those things I did, but I was not the only one who was cruel in our relationship. So before you judge me, think about what caused me to act the way I did.  
  
“But most importantly,” Fiona continued, her body visibly shaking with rage, “before you judge me, think of your son. The one who loves me enough to have invited me to the Weasley Christmas party, the party you only bring someone you’re serious about. The one you love enough to hate the girl that hated him. But I’m not that girl anymore, Mrs. Weasley, and I love your son. No matter how much you hate me, I’m not going anywhere.”  
  
“Get out of my house,” Fleur hissed.  
  
“Fleur—” Bill said, trying to reason with his wife.  
  
“Gladly,” Fiona replied, moving to exit the kitchen. She paused in front of Bill. “Thank you for inviting me into your home, Mr. Weasley. I’m sorry to have caused such dramatics. I’ll see you on the twenty-eighth.”  
  
Fiona slid past him, snatched her coat off of her chair and exited the house, slamming the door behind her.  
  
Louis was outside with Victoire and Dominique when he saw Fiona storming from the house. “Fi?” She didn’t look up at him, but her pace quickened. Louis ran over to her, his long legs quickly eating the distance between them. He grabbed her by the shoulders and demanded, “Fi, what’s wrong?”  
  
“Your mum hates me, I broke a plate, I lost my temper, and I’m going home,” she said, pushing past him.  
  
“Whoa, what?” Louis asked, grabbing her hand and pulling her back to him.  
  
“Lou, I really don’t want to talk about this right now!” she yelled, tears beginning to slid down her red cheeks. “Damnit,” she cursed, wiping her face angrily.  
  
“Hey,” Louis said, wiping at her tears with his large thumbs. “What happened?”  
  
“I yelled at your mum and she kicked me out,” Fiona said, sniffing loudly.  
  
“One of us was going to have to,” Louis said.  
  
“What?” Fiona asked.  
  
“Yell at my mum,” he said, frowning as more tears left her eyes. “She’s just overprotective. She’ll come around.”  
  
Fiona let out a watery and sarcastic laugh. “Somehow, I don’t think that’s the case. Mother’s don’t take too kindly to their kid’s girlfriend yelling at them the first time they meet. I’ve buggered it all up, Lou, I’m so sorry.”  
  
“Hey,” Louis said. “Look at me.” Fiona lifted her gaze to lock with Louis’s. “Easy is boring. Why do you think I’m in love with you?”  
  
“Prat,” she said, laughing on a sob.  
  
He smiled. “I’m in this for the long haul. Are you?”  
  
“Of course I am, but—”  
  
“No buts. Were you really going to leave without saying goodbye?”  
  
Fiona bit her lip. “Lou, your family can see us…”  
  
“They can get used to it.” He pulled her face which he was still holding towards his own and covered her mouth with his own. After a few moments, or maybe it was many minutes for neither could really tell, they separated, foreheads pressed together. “I’ll see you at the party?”  
  
Fiona nodded, biting her lip. "I wouldn't miss it."


	20. I Just Find Magic In Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "How about we exchange gifts, and then you pull on your big girl panties and tell your best friend that you’re in the best relationship of your life?”
> 
> "Someone's a tad cocky."

“Anything else for you today, Mr. Lewis?” Dorothy asked the elderly man sitting alone at a table in the Leaky Cauldron. Mr. Lewis was a regular around the holiday season, his warm smile and round belly something Dorothy always looked forward to seeing in the pub.  
  
“Got any special goodies in that kitchen of your mum’s?” he asked, his voice raspy and excited.  
  
Dorothy grinned. “I think she just whipped up a batch of cranberry muffins.”  
  
He grinned and nodded fervently. “Sounds good to me, Thee.”  
  
“Anything for you, Mr. Lewis.”  
  
Dorothy bustled back to the kitchen, grabbing one of the steaming muffins and a tea pot to make her rounds on her way back to Mr. Lewis’s table. She dropped the muffin in front of Mr. Lewis and made a few pit stops to top off tea cups throughout the restaurant. The fireplace lit up green and Fiona came stumbling out, her satchel smoking slightly.  
  
“Is it eleven already?” Dorothy called to Fiona, who nodded. “Alright, grab a seat, I’m almost finished my shift.”  
  
Dorothy picked up an order from the counter and an empty tea cup for Fiona, which she sat in front of her and filled. “It’s nice to see you, Fi.”  
  
“Back at you, Longbottom,” Fiona said, grinning. She began adding milk and sugar to her tea as she said, “I didn’t know you worked here.”  
  
“Family business,” Dorothy replied with a shrug. “Grew up waiting tables. It’s nice to make a few Sickles when I have the chance. Give me five minutes?”  
  
“Course, do what you have to do,” Fiona said, shooing Dorothy away. “Thanks for the tea!”  
  
Dorothy smiled at her friend and made her way over to a table with a family sitting around it, setting plates in front of excited customers with ease. “Anything else for you folks?” she asked, summoning the extra fork and sugar they asked for.  
  
As she was bussing another table, the fire lit up green again and Hope jumped out of it, her arms spread wide to catch her balance. Fiona waved her over to the table where she was sitting, nursing her tea. Just after Hope sat down, Dorothy placed a tea cup in front of her and filled it, then topped off Fiona’s cup. “I’m just waiting for Mr. Lewis to finish up, he’s my last table. Then we can head to my room.”  
  
Hope nodded, smiling brightly at Dorothy. “That’s fine. You’re such a cute barmaid, Dora.”  
  
Dorothy laughed and rolled her eyes. “That’s exactly what I was going for.”  
  
After Dorothy left to tend to the customers in the Leaky Cauldron, Hope said, “Do I really have to wait until tonight for you to tell me what’s going on with you?”  
  
Fiona sighed. “Hope. We discussed this at your house. I want to make sure everything goes well before I tell anyone. It’s important to me.”  
  
Hope frowned and took a sip of her tea. “Fine. But I don’t like this. We don’t keep secrets from each other.”  
  
“I know,” Fiona said quickly. “And, trust me, I really want to tell you. I’m just waiting for the right moment.”  
  
“This moment feels decidedly _not_ left…”  
  
“Oh, shut up, you bint.”  
  
“Ready?” Dorothy said, suddenly in front of the two of them again. She was hastily untying her apron as she grinned excitedly at them.  
  
“Can I bring my tea?” Hope asked. Dorothy nodded, chuckling.  
  
Fiona finished her tea easily and stood. “Let’s go,” she said, smiling. Dorothy flicked her wand, sending Fiona’s empty cup and saucer to the closest bussing bin.  
  
The three girls made their way through the dining room to the stairs in the back and practically ran up them. They entered a hallway lined with rooms and Dorothy took the lead, walking all the way down the hall and turning into another set of stairs. “I’m on the top floor,” Dorothy said, turning her head over her shoulder as they began to climb. “Well, technically, it used to be the attic. When I got to pick my room, I picked the one where Freddie and I would get the most privacy.”  
  
“I love stairs,” Fiona huffed. “They’re almost as fun as sleeping. But not. At all.”  
  
“Sorry,” Dorothy said, blushing.  
  
“She needs the exercise,” Hope said giggling.  
  
“I’m going to shove you down these,” Fiona threatened.  
  
When the stairs ended, there was a door to the right that led out into the hall filled with available rooms and a long, colorful string hanging down from a panel in the ceiling. Dorothy pulled on the string and a wooden ladder fell in front of them. “Last set,” she said with a grin.  
  
Once all three girls were inside her bedroom, Dorothy flicked her wand at the ladder and it folded up magically. She turned to face her friends. “What do you think?”   
  
The room was wood paneled, yet bright. It was encircled by a string of lights and had a few colorful posters plastered on the walls. There was an unmade queen sized bed in the center of the room surrounded by two bookcases that were jammed packed. The first thing Fiona did was launch herself face first into Dorothy’s bed. “Mother of Merlin,” she groaned. “This is the most comfortable bed in existence.”  
  
Dorothy laughed and rolled her eyes. “You and Freddie.”  
  
“Roll over, fat arse,” Hope said, following suit. “Oh, Circe, this is _awesome_.”  
  
***  
  
“Are you joshing?” Victoire asked her younger brother as the three siblings sat out on the beach after taking a fly.  
  
“No,” Louis said, digging his foot deeper into the sand. “Fi’s coming to the party tonight. Thee and Fred invited her after I did.”  
  
Dominique was struggling to hold in giddy laughter, wisps of yellow blonde hair frizzing out of her makeshift bun. “Maman is going to _explode_.”  
  
“Seriously, Lou, what are you thinking?” Victoire asked, running a hand through her silky white blonde mane. She had always been the most practical of the three. “This isn’t going to change her mind, you know that—”  
  
“I’m thinking that I’m in love with Fiona, Vic,” Louis said, agitation evident in his voice. “Maman can’t tell me who I can and can’t be with. I don’t need her approval.”  
  
“There’s a difference between not needing her approval and dating the bird who broke her favorite plate and then yelled in her face,” Dominique pointed out. She chuckled slightly. “Honestly, Lou, you really know how to pick them.”  
  
Victoire sent a silencing glare to Dominique. She then sighed and turned back towards her brother. “All I’m saying is, is this really the best time? Shouldn’t you wait until Maman has… _recovered_ before bringing Fiona in to meet the family? She’s a nice girl, Lou, but you don’t want Maman to scare her off, do you?”  
  
Louis snorted. “I doubt Maman would be able to scare Fiona off.”  
  
Victoire shoved his shoulder forcefully as Dominique erupted into giggles and fell back in the sand. “Be serious, Louis!”  
  
“I am being serious, Victoire!” he shot back. He saw the concerned expression pulled tight over his eldest sister’s face and sighed. “Look, Vic. She’s coming no matter what—as my guest, or as Thee’s. I’m sure as hell not going to ignore her.” Louis stood, ignoring the concerned expression still etched into Victoire’s features. “She makes me happy, Vic. Isn’t that enough?”  
  
He turned and tossed his broom over his shoulders, starting back towards the house. Once he was out of earshot, Victoire smacked Dominique hard in the stomach. “OW!” she cried angrily. “What was that for?!”  
  
“You are _such_ a child!” Victoire hissed. “You were supposed to help me!”  
  
“Vic, Lou’s an adult now. Let him make his own mistakes.” Dominique rolled onto her side, not facing her sister. “But honestly, I don’t think this is one.”  
  
***  
  
“Why are you getting so dolled up?” Hope asked as she watched Fiona mixing Muggle makeup across her face.  
  
Fiona looked at her through the mirror. “You have an issue with me being feminine?”  
  
“Of course I don’t, I’m me,” she said, rolling her eyes. “But you’re you.”  
  
Fiona looked away from Hope’s reflection and refocused on her left eyelid. “I…I want to make a good impression.”  
  
“You have nothing to worry about, Fi,” Dorothy said from inside her closet. “It’s a family party, no big deal.”  
  
“It’s a family party for the Saviours of the Wizarding World,” Hope corrected. “Not all of us grew up with _Uncle Harry_.”  
  
Dorothy stuck her head out of the closet and scowled playfully at them. “Shut up.”  
  
Hope giggled to herself. “Will you pick a dress already, Longbottom?” Fiona called.  
  
“I said, shut up!” she cried defensively.  
  
“I’m coming to beat you,” Fiona said, setting her makeup brush down.  
  
“No, don’t stop!” Hope cried, shoving Fiona back down in the chair. “I’ll take care of Dora.”  
  
Fiona cocked an eyebrow at Hope. “I was going to finish my face, you know.”  
  
Hope patted her shoulder quickly as she said, “Just in case.”  
  
Fiona rolled her eyes and Hope bustled over to the closet Dorothy had been hiding in for the past hour. “What is wrong with you?” Hope asked.  
  
Dorothy’s eyes widened at her blunt approach. “What?”  
  
“This is your family Christmas party. Put clothes on.” Hope peered around Dorothy and yanked a blue dress from a hanger. “Specifically these clothes.”  
  
Dorothy smiled sheepishly. “Yes, ma’am.”  
  
Hope shot Dorothy a sassy smile. “ _That_ is what I like to hear.”  
  
***  
  
James was staring at himself critically in the mirror, trying to adjust his tie to lay properly in the center of his shirt when his door flew open. His eyes flicked upwards in the mirror and he watched his younger brother storm into the room and throw himself onto James’s unmade bed.  
  
“Sure, Al, come on in,” James said as he looked back down at the silk in his hand.  
  
“Are you going to be an idiot tonight?” Al asked, anger evident in his flat tone.  
  
James abandoned his tie and turned to his brother, frowning. “I’m not an idiot.”  
  
“Well, you’ve been bloody well acting like one,” Al shot back.  
  
“And you’re acting like bloody Lily!”  
  
“With good reason!” Al retorted, jumping to his feet. “This whole thing with you and Thee has you and Fred unable to _look_ at each other! You’re best bloody mates, don’t you give a shit about that?”  
  
James rolled his eyes and made his way over to his dresser to snatch up a small bottle of cologne. “Of course I care—”  
  
“You’re putting on bloody cologne?!” Albus shouted. “It’s the Christmas party! Stop trying to steal Thee from Fred!”  
  
“She doesn’t _belong_ to him!” James yelled. “I can do whatever I bloody well please, Albus.”  
  
Albus took a deep, shaky breath in and in a low voice said, “Whatever, James. But when you ruin your relationships with both Fred and Thee because you’re so damned selfish, I’ll be sure to say ‘I told you so.’”  
  
James glared at his brother. “I guarantee you, it won’t be necessary.”  
  
Albus strode out of the room, calling over his shoulder: “Mum wants us downstairs to Apparate to the Burrow together.”  
  
***  
  
When Hope first looked at the ramshackled building before her after Apparating on the side of Professor Longbottom— _Mr._ Longbottom, now that he was her best mate’s father—she couldn’t help but feel a bit of fan excitement bubble in her belly. This was _the Burrow_. The actual place where the actual Weasleys actually lived and grew up and where the actual Harry Potter and actual Hermione Granger spent most of their summers. She couldn’t believe it.  
  
Franklin was going to be so jealous.  
  
“Whoa,” Fiona said. “I’ve seen pictures of it in my textbooks, but I never thought I’d actually… _see_ it.”  
  
“Yeah,” Hope agreed.  
  
“Come on, guys, it’s just the Burrow!” Dorothy said grabbing their hands. “Let’s go!”  
  
Hope’s eyes widened as she and Fiona jogged behind Dorothy. “We get to go inside?”  
  
“The party may be outside under the tent, but you don’t expect to have to sleep out there, do you?”  
  
“We’re sleeping here?” Hope asked, her voice cracking at the end.  
  
Dorothy laughed. “Yes, we’re sleeping here. It’s just a house, guys.”  
  
“A really bloody famous house,” Hope corrected.  
  
The three girls reached the front door and Dorothy yanked it open. Hope wanted to tell her to be gentler with such a historic place, but bit her tongue. It’s just a house.  
  
“Don’t let Grandmum hear you curse, she’ll whack you with a spoon,” Dorothy warned them as she led the way inside. “We can drop our bags off in Aunt Ginny’s old bedroom.”  
  
Hope’s heart stopped in her chest. “I get to go inside Ginny Potter’s childhood bedroom? She’s my Quidditch idol.”  
  
Dorothy grinned and rolled her eyes. “If you think you can handle yourself appropriately, I’ll introduce you to her.”  
  
Hope squeaked slightly. “Dora, this is officially the best day of my life.”  
  
Dorothy approached the stairs, taking them two at a time until she reached Ginny’s bedroom door on the first floor landing. “It’s this one; just chuck your stuff on the bed or something.”  
  
“This is so cool,” Hope said entering the room, turning in a slow circle to take in her surroundings. “I didn’t imagine her walls to be pink.”  
  
“That’s Grandmum for you,” Dorothy said. “She was very excited about having a daughter, and Aunt Ginny didn’t care enough to repaint them.”  
  
“Gwenog Jones, classy,” Fiona said with a smirk, looking at a ratty poster hanging on the wall.  
  
“I have Ginny’s Harpies poster on my wall,” Hope said absent-mindedly.  
  
Fiona snorted loudly. “That’s not creepy at all.”  
  
“Let’s head out to the party,” Dorothy said. “If you’re star struck now, just wait.”  
  
Fiona and Hope shared a look of nerves before following Dorothy out of the room.  
  
***  
  
Louis was pulling at the tie around his neck, staring at the entrance to the tent anxiously. Fiona was going to arrive any minute, and he couldn’t stand waiting for her for another second.  
  
“Ah, mon fils.” His mother’s voice floated through the crowd as she approached him. “You look unwell.”  
  
“No, Maman,” he said with a sigh, kissing her cheek. “I’m just impatient.”  
  
“Pour ta petite amie, oui?” she said, a small frown pulling at the corner of her pretty mouth.  
  
Louis waited a moment before curtly responding, “Oui.”  
  
With a disapproving click of her tongue, Fleur squeezed her son’s shoulder. “Bien sûr.”  
  
“Maman, please be nice,” Louis said, turning his gaze to look down at her. Although his mother was taller than the average woman, Louis’s height rivaled his father’s and he was a good bit taller than Fleur. “She is very important to me.”  
  
Fleur opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it, merely nodding at her son. She turned her head to the entrance and said, “She is trés belle ce soir.”  
  
Louis’s head snapped from his mother to the entrance where Fiona had just entered the tent with Hope and Dorothy. His heart swelled at the sight of her. Her brown hair had been twisted into some up do, only leaving a few stray curls surrounding her face, which looked so beautiful she resembled a porcelain doll brought to life. Her dress was silver and sparkled in the low light, falling just above her knees with a single strap that crossed her chest.  
  
“I’ll see you later, Maman,” Louis said, not taking his eyes off of Fiona. Fleur took a few steps back, unwilling to accept what she knew to be true.  
  
“He loves her, Fleur,” Bill said, coming up behind his wife and wrapping an arm around her.  
  
Fleur shook her head. “You can’t know that.”  
  
“But I can,” he said, pressing his lips to his wife’s temple. “The way he looks at her…that’s how I look at you.”  
  
“Dance with me, Bill,” she said softly.  
  
***  
  
Fiona allowed herself to fall behind from her friends, simply allowing the party to overcome her as she hung towards the edge of the tent. She wanted her heart to slow, her breath to normalize, her palms to stop sweating. She felt a small tug on her wrist. She turned her head and opened her eyes, then immediately smiled. “There you are.”  
  
Louis returned the grin. “You look breathtaking,” he said, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “Would you care to dance?”  
  
Fiona bit her lip. “Not yet. I…I haven’t told her yet.”  
  
Louis frowned. “Fi—”  
  
“I tried, honest,” she said. “I just…didn’t know how.”  
  
“Dearest best friend, I am madly in love with Louis Weasley. I am sorry for being a secretive tart. Be happy for us.”  
  
Fiona gasped. “I am not a tart!”  
  
Louis smirked. “Of course not.”  
  
“You’re not getting your Christmas present now.”  
  
Louis laughed, dragging her towards the door. “Speaking of gifts, I have one for you. How about we exchange gifts, and then you pull on your big girl panties and tell your best friend that you’re in the best relationship of your life?”  
  
Fiona laughed. “Someone’s a tad cocky.”  
  
Louis smirked at her. “Someone hasn’t even properly said hello yet.”  
  
Fiona bit down her lip and looked both ways quickly to make sure the coast was clear. She then leaned forward and pressed her lips to his chastely. “Hi, Lou.”  
  
He grinned, eyes still closed. “I didn’t hear you very well, you may have to repeat yourself.”  
  
Fiona shoved him. “You’re horrible.”  
  
***  
  
“Hope, can you handle this?” Dorothy asked, concern evident in her tone.  
  
Hope tossed a shot of Firewhiskey down her throat and shook out her arms. “Yes,” she said confidently. “Yes, I can do this. Let’s do this.”  
  
Dorothy chuckled slightly, but led Hope over to a pair of women. “Aunt Ginny?”  
  
The red haired woman of the pair looked up and smiled. “Hello, Thee! How’s my favorite niece?”  
  
Thee smiled. “I’m doing well. I wanted to introduce you to someone, actually. This is Hope Jacobs, my Quidditch Captain and best mate. Hope, this is Ginny Potter.”  
  
Ginny held out her hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Hope.”  
  
Hope quickly took it and shook it violently. “Trust me, Mrs. Potter, the pleasure is all mine. I’m a huge fan.” Hope saw the look of confusion appear on Ginny’s face and quickly continued, “You’re the best Chaser that ever graced the Harpies! The way you play Quidditch, Mrs. Potter, it’s an art.” Hope paused and quickly let go of Ginny’s hand with she had been still shaking. “Which sounds horrendously creepy out loud. I’m sorry. Let me start over. Hi, I’m Hope. I’m very excited to meet you.”  
  
Ginny looked from Hope to Dorothy to the bushy haired woman standing beside her. She then started to laugh. “Oh, honey, don’t be sorry! I was _much_ worse than you when I met Gwenog Jones. And even when I met Harry for the first time, to be honest. I’m flattered, Hope.”  
  
A smile of relief broke across Hope’s features. “Oh, thank Merlin. I’ve never been so nervous to meet someone!”  
  
“She’s right, she was fine when I introduced her to Uncle Harry,” Dorothy said, her mind still reeling from Hope’s word vomit.  
  
Ginny smirked. “Really?”  
  
“Saviour of the Wizarding World or not, he was not the one who revolutionized Chasing for years to come,” Hope said nonchalantly.  
  
Ginny grinned. “I’ve been telling him that for years. Thinks just because he defeated Voldemort he doesn’t have to put his dirty socks in the laundry. Honestly.”  
  
“You’re awful for her ego, Hope,” the bushy haired woman said, laughing at Ginny’s obvious pleasure.  
  
Hope blinked. “Hermione Weasley.” She turned to Dorothy. “Dora. I was not prepared to meet Hermione Weasley at the same time I met Ginny Potter.”  
  
Hermione and Ginny shared a cocky look. “Nevermind, I like her. Tell us again how Harry failed to make you nervous?”  
  
Hope and Dorothy both laughed. “It’s almost like I’m desensitized to him. Albus looks just like him, just younger.” Hermione and Ginny laughed loudly. “Anyway, he never would’ve managed to be the Saviour if Mrs. Weasley hadn’t been there with him.”  
  
Hermione smirked. “Also very true.”  
  
“Hey, mum, have you seen—” James faltered as he saw Dorothy poke her head out from behind Hope. “Dorothy,” he finished lamely.  
  
Ginny smiled at her son. “Seems like you found her, eh, James?”  
  
“Yeah, thanks,” he said, his eyes on Dorothy. Dorothy blushed under his gaze. “Dorothy, can we, uh…talk?”  
  
Dorothy looked up and bit her lip. “I’m introducing Hope to the family.”  
  
James snapped back into reality and noticed Hope standing next to him. “Oh, hey, Jacobs.”  
  
“Potter,” she said suspiciously.  
  
“Dorothy?” James asked, looking slightly desperate.  
  
Dorothy looked from James to Hope, who rolled her eyes and nodded. “Okay,” Dorothy said, following James.  
  
“What was that all about?” Hermione asked curiously.  
  
“James is just being a giant prick and thinks he can change fate and somehow make Dora end up with him,” Hope answered, slightly aggravated.  
  
“James is what?” Ginny asked, her eyebrow cocked curiously.  
  
Hope’s face blanched. “Uh, well, he’s being a slight prick, Mrs. Potter. He’s got the idea that he and Dora are in love. He’s been chasing her for a month. He and Freddie can’t even look at each other.”  
  
Ginny groaned. “Why must he muck everything up?”  
  
Hope blinked, obviously surprised. “I’m sorry?”  
  
“Hope, you’ll come to realize that Ginny is a meddler,” Hermione explained.  
  
“Let’s have a chat, Hope, and, uh, start at the beginning of this Thee and James… _thing_ ,” Ginny said, leading the way to a table clothed round table.  
  
***  
  
“Louis,” Fiona said, pulling away from him. His mouth merely began working its way down the column of her throat. She giggled and let her head fall back to offer him more of her skin. “We’re...we’re supposed to b-be…” Her words fell off into a small moan.  
  
He chuckled, nipping lightly behind her ear. “You want to exchange gifts now?”  
  
“I want to snog you inside the warm tent, so yes.”  
  
Louis laughed loudly and released her. “Fair point. Do you want to go first?”  
  
Fiona nodded, bending quickly to retrieve the small clutch that had been abandoned the second they’d escaped the tent. “It’s nothing big, but I thought you may like it,” she said, straightening and handing Louis a small wrapped box.  
  
He took it from her and pulled at the paper, until the box could open. Inside was a smooth black ring. “Fi…”  
  
“It’s Tungsten,” she said quickly as he pulled the ring out of the box. “It was actually harvested from the site of your first dig,” she added softly.  
  
He looked up from the ring to her in awe. “Really?”  
  
“Yeah,” she said. “And I got it engraved on the inside.”  
  
He peered inside the band to read the words, _I love you, Troll._ Louis couldn’t help but grin. “I love it, Fi.”  
  
“You do?” she said, her face brightening.  
  
Louis leaned down and kissed her soundly on the lips. “So much,” he said. “Especially the part where you call me a troll.”  
  
“I couldn’t be too sappy,” she said with a small smile. “I have a reputation to uphold, you know.”  
  
Louis chuckled as he slid the ring onto his right middle finger. “Of course you do.” He buried his hand into her hair and pulled her mouth back to his.  
  
Fiona pulled back after a moment. “My turn,” she said excitedly.  
  
Louis chuckled. “Of course.” He pulled a small black box from his pocket and placed it in her palm. “It’s not a ring, don’t freak out.”  
  
Fiona shot him a playful glare. “I wouldn’t have freaked out.”  
  
“Course not,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Open it.”  
  
She listened for once. Lying inside the box was a silver heart on a chain. But it wasn’t a normal heart pendant, but an actual anatomical heart. “I figured since you want to be a Healer and all, you’d want me to be anatomically correct when I gave you my heart.”  
  
Fiona looked up from the necklace as she let out a small snort. “You’re so sappy. Giving me your heart?”  
  
“But really,” he said, lifting the necklace from the box. “Grip the pendant.”  
  
She shot him a confused look, but did as she was told. The pendant expanded in her grasp, beating in a steady rhythm. Her eyes widened in surprise. “It’s beating!”  
  
“Only when you clutch it like that,” he said, taking her other hand and laying it on his chest. “It beats in time to mine. So when you miss me, you’ll have a piece of me to hold on to.”  
  
Fiona slid her hand up to his neck, her fingers prodding beneath his jaw line to find his pulse point, smiling as the rhythms were in sync.  
  
“That’s not creepy, is it?”  
  
Fiona shook her head, still smiling. “It’s perfect. Help me put it on?”  
  
Louis smiled and took the necklace from her, securing it around her neck. “You really like it?”  
  
Fiona turned back to Louis and nodded. “Absolutely. I can’t think of anything I would like more. Thank you.” She leaned into him and pressed her mouth against his, moving her lips slowly against his.  
  
“Fiona? Are you— _Holy Hippogriffs, Fiona?!_ ”  
  
***  
  
“You look fantastic, Dorothy,” James said.  
  
Dorothy looked down at herself in embarrassment. She had donned the dress Hope had selected: a simple, strapless, navy dress that grazed the tops of her knees and had a sweetheart neckline. Her blonde curls cascaded down her shoulders, untouched by products or spells. “Thanks,” she said. “You look nice as well.”  
  
“Can I be blunt with you?” James asked, his voice low and serious.  
  
Dorothy looked up at him and blinked. “Of course,” she said.  
  
“I really want to kiss you,” he said. Dorothy felt her fingernails dig into her palm as her heart rate sped up. “Not just right now, although, the feeling is really strong in this moment, but all the time. Every day. Every time I see you. All I can think about is kissing you.”  
  
“James—”  
  
“Dorothy,” he said, cutting off her speech. “I need to know what’s holding you back. Is it Jen? Freddie?”  
  
Dorothy looked down at her feet. “Both?” she answered sheepishly.  
  
“I know you have feelings for me, Dorothy,” James said. “You always have.” Dorothy looked up in surprise that James knew about her childhood crush. “I was too stupid then to realize how bloody fantastic you are. But I know now. And, shit, Dorothy, I’m in love with you. Shouldn’t that be enough?”  
  
“I want it to be, James, I do,” Dorothy said, reaching out and grabbing his hand. “But there’s so much more than that involved here. Jen, Freddie…they’re a part of this. Jen almost killed me, you and Freddie haven’t so much as looked at each other in months…being in love with me isn’t going to cut it.”  
  
James pulled Dorothy to him and covered her mouth with his. “What if I just kiss you until you agree to go out with me?”  
  
Dorothy smiled sadly. “James—” He had kissed her again. She pushed out of his grasp. “James!”  
  
“I can’t not be with you, Dorothy.”  
  
Dorothy shook her head. “Couldn’t you have had this realization at the end of the summer? Or even before you and Jen got back together? Before everything was so bloody complicated?”  
  
“I’m a bloody moron, Dorothy. A full-blown wanker. But I’m begging you to give me a second chance. Please.”  
  
Dorothy shook her head. “I told Freddie we were done. That it—that _we—_ wouldn’t happen again.”  
  
“Things change, Dorothy. He’ll understand.”  
  
Dorothy looked up at James with a wry expression on her face. “Will he? This is Freddie we’re talking about.”  
  
“Damnit, Dorothy, for once in your life, will you put yourself first?” James said, his frustration obvious in his speech.  
  
Dorothy was taken aback by his outburst. “What?”  
  
“Stop worrying about what Freddie will think!” he demanded. “It’s _your_ life. What do you want?”  
  
“It’s..it’s not that simple!” she stammered.  
  
“What—do—you— _want?_ ” he asked, his eyes searching her face wildly for answers.  
  
She thought for a moment. What _did_ she want? Meekly, she answered, “You.”  
  
Relief flooded his expression. “I’m yours.”  
  
“Kiss me again,” she said softly, her eyes dancing across his handsome features. Nodding, James placed one large hand at the nape of Dorothy’s neck and lifted her lips to his. Her hands slid up his chest and met at the back of his head, one sliding into his hair while the other rested on his cheek. James wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her tightly against him.  
  
“What the _bloody hell_ is going on here?”  
  
***  
  
Fiona ripped herself away from Louis at the sound of her best friend. “Hope!” she squeaked. Hope’s gaze flitted back and forth between Louis and Fiona as Fiona meekly said, “I can explain…”  
  
“I bet you fucking can,” Hope snapped, shock quickly being replaced with white hot rage. “How long has this been going on?”  
  
“A while,” Fiona said, looking down.  
  
“How. Long.”  
  
“When I came up to see her that Hogsmeade weekend,” Louis said. “I told her I thought I fancied her.”  
  
“You molested me, to be precise,” Fiona corrected. “After we’d stopped snogging in the Three Broomsticks, we saw the Extendable Ear. We figured since you hadn’t run inside to see what was happening, you hadn’t heard. So I told him to cut it. We’d fake a fight, go to the Shrieking Shack and figure this out.”  
  
“And after you got home?” Hope pressed. “Why didn’t you tell me then?”  
  
Fiona’s face bloomed a dark crimson that would’ve put Dorothy’s blushes to shame. “We didn’t exactly do much… _talking_.” Louis grinned at the memory. Hope raised an eyebrow. Fiona smacked Louis’s arm. “So when I got back to the dormitory, I didn’t know what to tell you. So I didn’t say anything. I was also peeved you spied on me, which helped that decision.”  
  
“Was telling me about this ever part of your plan, Fiona?” Hope demanded. “Did you even want to?”  
  
“Of course I wanted to!” Fiona cried. “I was going to tell you today, I just didn’t know how! That big thing I wrote you about, that was when I met his parents…I wanted to tell you, in person, the right way. I knew you would be mad, and I didn’t want to ruin your mood—”  
  
“Maybe you should’ve thought of that _before_ keeping it a secret!”  
  
“We wanted to be on solid ground before we told anyone anything,” Louis said. “Because of our previous relationship, we knew people would blow it out of proportion. We wanted to make sure we were on the same page before telling anyone else.”  
  
“The Quidditch match…detention during the Hogsmeade trip…you two were sneaking around, weren’t you?” Hope asked. Louis and Fiona nodded. “So you didn’t just lie to me, you lied to me over and over again, didn’t you?”  
  
Fiona’s face paled. “Hope, no, it’s not like that—”  
  
“I can keep a secret, Fiona, I didn’t realize how little you trusted me,” Hope snapped.  
  
“Hope, I do trust you, it’s not—”  
  
“Thank you for clearing the air around our friendship. I would never keep something as big as this a secret from you.” Hope turned and stormed back into the tent.  
  
Fiona chased after her. “Hope, wait, please!”  
  
“I’m very _happy_ for the two of you. And I would’ve been happy almost three bloody months ago as well.”  
  
“Hope,” Fiona pleaded, but her best friend had already disappeared into the crowd.  
  
Louis came up behind Fiona and placed his arm around her shoulders. She turned into him, willing herself not to cry. Louis pressed his lips against the top of her head.  
  
***  
  
“Freddie!” Dorothy exclaimed, jumping back from James.  
  
Freddie looked back and forth between James and Dorothy. “Don’t tell me you two are in another secret relationship.”  
  
“No,” Dorothy said quickly. “We’re… _starting_ a not secret relationship. I think.”  
  
“That sounds good to me,” James said quickly as he grabbed Dorothy’s hand.  
  
Freddie looked at their intertwined fingers and then back up to Dorothy. “I thought you were done with James.”  
  
“So did I,” she said, squeezing James’s hand. “But people change.”  
  
Freddie nodded and looked back over at James. “You hurt her again, and I swear to Merlin. I don’t care that we’re family, I don’t care that we’re mates. I will destroy you.”  
  
James nodded. “I’d expect no less.”  
  
“Are you…mad?” Dorothy asked. “I expected you to be mad.”  
  
“I don’t know what I am right now, Dor,” Freddie said, rubbing his temple. He wasn’t looking at either one of them. “But I don’t think it’s mad.”  
  
Dorothy sighed in relief and threw her arms around Freddie. “I’m so glad.”  
  
Freddie hardly returned the hug. “I’m going to go…get a drink.”  
  
As he walked away, Dorothy and James looked at each other. “I was prepared for mad,” Dorothy said slowly. “Not…that.”  
  
James shook his head. “Same. But I think we should…embrace it. He’s okay with this.”  
  
Dorothy nodded, pushing away the lingering feeling that Freddie was in no way “okay” with this. “Let’s go dance.”  
  
***  
  
Hope fell into a chair beside Freddie, nursing a butter beer. Freddie looked over at her and frowned. The straps of her emerald dress had fallen, her makeup was smeared, and her hair was no longer pristine. She’d looked like she’d walked off the cover of Witch Weekly earlier. “What’s wrong with you?” Freddie grunted.  
  
Hope looked over at him and scowled. “Tactful, Weasley. I see how you get all the birds.”  
  
Freddie sighed and leaned back in his chair, taking a swig of what Hope assumed was a lot stronger than butter beer. “Sorry. You look upset. What’s wrong.”  
  
“Bumped into Fiona and Louis snogging.”  
  
“Didn’t know?”  
  
“Nope.”  
  
“I thought she told you everything.”  
  
“So did I.”  
  
“Ah.”  
  
Hope took a swig of her butter beer. “What’s wrong with you?”  
  
“Bumped into Dorothy and James snogging.”  
  
“Ouch.”  
  
The two clanked their glasses together and took long drinks. “You know what? Screw them. Who needs them?”  
  
“I’m not mad at Dorothy and James,” Freddie said flatly.  
  
“That’s hippogriff shit if I ever heard any.”  
  
“Maybe,” Freddie said. “I’ve never been good at being mad at Dor, anyway. Why waste the time.”  
  
“That’s your problem, Weasley,” Hope said. “You never allow yourself to be mad at Dora, so you direct it at everyone else or swallow it. It’s not healthy. You let her drag you along because you’re in love with her—don’t even think about denying it—and it fucks you up. Be honest with yourself and with her. Be mad. Be furious even. Don’t be apathetic. You deserve better than that. And she’d agree with me.”  
  
Freddie looked up to see Dorothy laughing as James paraded her around the dance floor, peppering her face with kisses. He looked down, disgusted with the rage bubbling in his stomach.  
  
“Fiona didn’t mean to hurt you,” Freddie said. “She’s not like that.”  
  
“I know,” Hope said, rolling her eyes. “But I’m going to be mad for a bit because I’m allowed to be. And she understands that. She also knows I’ll get over it because he makes her so damn happy…like, for Circe’s sake, her expression makes me want to vomit.”  
  
Freddie found Louis and Fiona in the center of the dance floor, her face radiating with joy. “That is pretty gross.”  
  
“I know! How did I miss this? She’s been so happy…Fiona’s never happy.”  
  
“She’s a Hufflepuff.”  
  
“Hell knows why.”  
  
Freddie sighed and finished his drink, then stuck his hand out to Hope. “Want to dance?”  
  
“Is this a pity dance?” Hope asked.  
  
Freddie shrugged. “It’s a pity party dance between friends.”  
  
Hope chuckled and set her bottle down on the floor beside her chair. “Alright, Weasley. Sounds good to me.”  
  
***  
  
Fiona sat in a chair heavily, rubbing her aching feet as Louis went off to find them both something to drink. “Hello, dear, I don’t believe we’ve met,” a voice said from beside her.  
  
“Oh, Merlin!” Fiona said in surprise, turning to her right. Beside her sat an older woman with grey hair frizzing out off of her head. “I didn’t even see you there! My name is Fiona, I’m—”  
  
“Friends with Thee, in a secret relationship with Louis…yes, I’ve heard about you tonight,” the woman said.  
  
“Well, not so secret anymore,” Fiona responded. The woman looked at her curiously. “We spent his Hogwarts years as enemies, but then after he graduated…” Fiona sighed, trying to organize her thoughts. “I realized I missed him. Then he started writing me, and I found myself looking forward to getting his letters, even though they were laced with insults. It was like he was back with me. Then he asked to meet me during the first Hogsmeade weekend, and we, well…” Fiona blushed. “We quickly realized our relationship was more than insults and hexes. We just didn’t know _what_ we were. So we didn’t want to tell anyone and have their questions pull us apart before we had the answers…as time passed and we let each other in, Merlin…I fell so far in love with that boy…” Fiona laughed softly. “But part of me knew I would love him…he got hurt during a Quidditch match his seventh year when he was dating my ex-best friend and was unconscious, but he dreamed of me. Said my name in his sleep. I think that’s when I knew…there was more underneath the rivalry.”  
  
Fiona looked over at the woman and laughed at herself. “I’m sorry, you didn’t need to hear the woes of a silly teenage love story.”  
  
“No, dear, I don’t mind at all. Love is a beautiful thing,” she said. “Have you met his parents?”  
  
“Yeah,” Fiona said with a sigh. “He got on much better with my family than I did with his.”  
  
“Oh?” the woman asked, scooting closer to Fiona. “What happened with you, Bill, and Fleur?”  
  
“It ended with a broken plate and me yelling,” Fiona said, putting her face in her hands. “From the beginning, Mrs. Weasley didn’t like me. Never even gave me a chance.”  
  
“Oh, she’ll come around,” the woman said, patting Fiona on the shoulder. “Have you met any more of his family?”  
  
Fiona shook her head. “He’s grabbing us drinks right now, and then I’m getting debriefed and thrown in to mingle. I’m a horrible mingler.”  
  
The woman laughed. “I think you’re doing very well. Just be yourself, the family will like you.”  
  
“How do you know?”  
  
The woman grabbed Fiona’s hand in hers and smiled. “I’ve been to quite a few of these parties, my dear. The trick to getting the family to like you is to get Molly Weasley to like you. If you can win her over, you’re in the clear.”  
  
“Molly Weasley…you mean Lou’s grandmum?”  
  
The woman nodded. “Even in her old age, she’s got this family trained well. If she likes you, they’ll trust you’re good.”  
  
Fiona nodded. “I just need to make sure she likes me.”  
  
“She’s easily won over by the woes of a silly teenage love story,” the woman said with a wink.  
  
Fiona looked at the woman in confusion. “What?”  
  
“Oh, hello, Grandmum,” Louis said, pecking the woman on her cheek. The woman patted Louis’s face fondly. “I see you’ve met Fiona.”  
  
Fiona’s eyes widened as Molly Weasley laughed. “She didn’t quite realize it, but yes, I have.”  
  
“I can’t believe I didn’t recognize you, I’m so sorry, Mrs. Weasley!” Fiona said.  
  
“Not to worry, my dear, you’ve had quite a night.” Molly pushed herself to her feet and said, “I think it’s about time I found my Arthur and we showed you grandkids how to really dance, eh, Louis?”  
  
Louis grinned. “Sounds like a plan, Grandmum.”  
  
Molly turned to leave, but stopped. She leaned over to Fiona and said, “I think you’ve won over the Grandmum.”  
  
Fiona beamed at her and pressed a kiss to Molly’s cheek. “Thanks for listening, Mrs. Weasley.”  
  
Molly smiled and nodded, making her way over to her husband and dragging him to the center of the floor with her. Louis looked over at Fiona and sat in the seat his grandmother had just vacated, sliding a cup of water in front of her. “She likes you,” Louis said grinning.  
  
Fiona grinned back at him. “She does.”  
  
“I knew you could do it.”  
  
“Oh, come here, you,” Fiona said, fisting his shirt with both hands and kissing him fiercely. She pulled him as close as she could to her, her arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders and her chest arched into him. He held her close, unwillingly to let go as their mouths danced together. Excitement blossomed in Fiona’s stomach and she wanted to cry and laugh at the same time. Somehow, she had managed to win over Molly Weasley. She’d done it.  
  
***  
  
Once Molly and Arthur had finished their dance, Molly pulled Fiona away from Louis to introduce her to the rest of the family, declaring that Louis was “too slow” and that “she didn’t care if Fiona’s feet hurt and he’d been rubbing them in the hope of receiving kisses,” but that “the girl needs to meet the family, and if wouldn’t do it she would.” Louis was following the two around the tent with his grandfather, watching as Molly introduced all of his aunts and uncles to Fiona and she attempted to maintain a cool head.  
  
“Harry Potter, you’d best come meet Lou’s little girlfriend before you sneak off like some randy teenager!” Molly shouted.  
  
“Mum!” Ginny moaned as the couple retreated from the doorway. “We’re married, you can’t stop us from shagging in the house anymore.”  
  
“Gin!” Harry yelped, running a hand through his hair. “That’s your mum!”  
  
“She knows we have sex, Harry, if we didn’t, she’d have three less grandkids to spoil.”  
  
“So, who’s this?”  
  
“Fiona Little,” Fiona said, holding out her hand to Harry. “I’m dating Lou.”  
  
Harry took her hand and shook it. “Pleasure to meet you, Fiona. I’m Harry, and this is my wife, Ginny.”  
  
Ginny grasped Fiona’s hand and shook it as well. “Dating Lou? Weren’t you the girl he was always in detention because of?”  
  
Fiona swallowed thickly. “Yes…”  
  
“And is it true you smashed one of Fleur’s plates and yelled at her when you went to Shell Cottage for dinner?”  
  
“I didn’t smash it on purpose…I was cleaning it and it slipped—”  
  
“Oh, I am so glad that Fleur’s got a little Phlegm of her own!” Ginny said happily. “She’ll finally understand… Don’t you worry, love, she’ll warm up to you eventually.” Ginny looked back up to her mother and said, “May I go shag my husband now, mum?”  
  
Molly rolled her eyes at her only daughter. “I swear, you’re trying to put me in an early grave, Ginevra.”  
  
Ginny pecked her mother’s cheek and dragged Harry out of the tent.  
  
“That was…interesting,” Fiona said, looking over at Molly, who shrugged.  
  
“She’s got spirit.”  
  
“She gets that from you,” Arthur said, chuckling to himself.  
  
***  
  
Hours later when the party had ended and been cleaned up, the grandkids were sprawled throughout the living room of the Burrow in an assortment of pillows and blankets. Freddie was staring at the cuckoo clock hanging on the far wall, ticking absentmindedly as seconds and minutes passed by. It currently read 4:23 am.  
  
He was the only one still awake.  
  
About four bodies away from him, Dorothy and James were cuddling. He couldn’t get that thought out of his mind. His conversation with Hope was playing in his mind.  
  
 _He deserved better._  
  
And, at that moment, he accepted the fact that he was absolutely not okay with this.


	21. I Just Can't Watch It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “We’re actually in a secret relationship. I didn’t want to tell you because we’re too busy snogging each other’s faces off to have the talk, and I just don’t trust your reaction.”

Dorothy woke up to the pain of a limb jabbing her in the back. She lifted her head slowly and peered behind her. At some point during the night, Lucy had managed to curl up beneath her. And now her elbow was stabbing Dorothy through the ribs.  
  
Rolling her eyes, she turned her head back to the chest she was calling a pillow, smiling at James’s peaceful expression. She and James were actually going to make a go of it. She couldn’t believe it.  
  
Lucy rolled over, and Dorothy yelped in pain. James’s eyes fluttered open. “Dorothy?” he asked groggily. “You alright?”  
  
“Lucy is trying to cuddle,” she responded. “Painfully.”  
  
James chuckled lightly to himself. “Oh.” His eyes slipped closed as he attempted to return to sleep. Dorothy frowned and violently prodded him with her finger. “Merlin, Dorothy, what?”  
  
“Come for a walk with me.”  
  
“No,” James said with a yawn. “It’s bloody freezing.”  
  
“It’s called a warming charm,” Dorothy said, frowning. “Please?”  
  
James sighed. “Fine.”  
  
Dorothy grinned and scrambled off of him, rising to her feet quickly. She held her hand out to him and yanked him upwards, giggling as he stumbled forward slightly. “Come on,” Dorothy said, pulling him forward towards the door.  
  
Neither noticed Freddie’s gaze on them in the dark.  
  
Once they were outside, Dorothy cast a warming charm over the both of them and then laced her fingers through James’s. He looked over at her through tired eyes and smiled. They didn’t speak, just merely strolled through the grounds behind the Burrow. After a while, they settled down by the pond, staring at the moonlight reflecting off the ice.  
  
“We’re really doing this, aren’t we?” Dorothy asked, trying to restrain the large smile sliding onto her face.  
  
James looked over at her, a grin of his own pulling across his boyishly handsome features. “Yeah, we are.”  
  
Dorothy let out a sigh of contentment and settled herself against James’s side. “Good.”  
  
James wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Yeah, it is good, isn’t it?”  
  
***  
  
Dorothy made her way down the bustling street of Diagon Alley, humming softly to herself. She had two hours before her shift at the pub started and her home buzzed with a familiar ‘almost-back-to-school’ energy. The main drag of shops had been lying low for too long in her opinion; Diagon Alley just wasn’t the same when it wasn’t packed with excitement.  
  
Without even realizing it, Dorothy had ended up in front of Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes, the shop that had become her second home growing up. She hadn’t been in for a while, Fred and his family had been off on a family trip in the mountains ever since the Christmas party. James had come around a few times to see her or take her out for an afternoon stroll or a meal, but Dorothy missed her best mate. And today, he was finally back.  
  
She entered the shop with a smile on her face, laughing as young children ran past her, screaming. She weaved in and out of the crowds, searching for his smiling face.  
  
“Hey, you,” a voice said from behind her.  
  
Dorothy turned and smiled. “Oh, hello, James,” she said, allowing him to kiss her. “Have you seen Freddie?”  
  
“Bored of me already?” he joked, laughing as she began to shake her head, a blush rising on her cheeks. “Only joshing, love. I know you miss Fred. He’s up in the office today; Uncle George says that if Freddie wants to run this place someday, he’s got to start doing the paperwork. Honestly, Uncle George just doesn’t want to do it.”  
  
Dorothy laughed. “Figures. Trying to extend his vacation by abusing the ambition of his son.”  
  
James nodded. “I figure you’ll try and steal Freddo for lunch?”  
  
Dorothy grinned. “Probably.”  
  
“Alright,” James said, laughing. “How about I steal you for dinner?”  
  
“I can’t,” Dorothy said, frowning. “I have to close.”  
  
“I can eat late,” James said, pressing his lips into the side of her neck.  
  
“Okay,” Dorothy said, a small smile pulling at her lips. “I’m going to go find Fred now,” she said, pushing him away.  
  
James wrapped his arms around her waist and covered her mouth with his own. “Five minutes,” he murmured.  
  
Dorothy laughed. “No, later,” she protested.  
  
James pouted. “Fine. I have the meanest girlfriend in the whole world.”  
  
Dorothy pecked his lips chastely and nodded. “Yes, you do.”  
  
She removed herself from his embrace and walked away from him, a silly grin dancing across her lips. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been this happy. She reached the back stairs and climbed them two at a time, anxious to spend time with her best mate. She jogged along the corridor, not even bothering to knock as she entered the office to find Freddie buried at the desk by mounds of paperwork. “Holy Mother of Merlin,” she gasped.  
  
Fred looked up in surprise when he heard her voice, but didn’t smile. “Dor…when did you get here?”  
  
“About five minutes ago. James told me that Uncle George put you on paperwork duty,” she said. “I was hoping you’d want to get lunch. I want to hear all about your trip—”  
  
“I’m not hungry,” he said shortly, once again focusing his attention on the parchment in front of him.  
  
Dorothy’s words faltered and she stared at Freddie, feeling horrendously uncomfortable. “Is…is everything alright?”  
  
“Peachy,” he responded, not looking up. “I’m busy, Dor.”  
  
“You’re doing paperwork…you hate that. I thought you might want a break—”  
  
“Well, you thought wrong,” he said, his voice full of exasperation. “Paperwork is part of the job, if I’m going to take over someday, I’d better get used to doing it.”  
  
“You said you weren’t angry with me,” Dorothy said, her voice shaky from confusion and hurt. “Why are you angry with me?”  
  
“I’m not angry with _you_ , Dor,” Freddie said as he rubbed his temple.  
  
“James, then?” she pressed.  
  
“No,” he implored. “I’m…” his voice faltered as he looked at her, and he sighed. “I’m just tired, Dor. I’ve got to finish all this shit, and I haven’t been sleeping well. Rain check?”  
  
Biting her lip, Dorothy nodded. “I’ll…I’ll talk to you later?”  
  
Freddie nodded and then picked up his quill again. Dorothy opened her mouth to speak, but thought better of it. She turned and left the room silently. Freddie looked up again when the door closed, knowing in his mind he only had one option.  
  
Cursing under his breath, he refocused on his tedious task.  
  
***  
  
“Rox!” Dorothy called, pushing her way through students at the train platform. During the week since Dorothy had gone to Wheezes to seek out Freddie to now, she hadn’t seen or heard from him once. “Roxy!” The girl didn’t turn as she laughed loudly in a circle of her friends. “Roxanne!” Dorothy shouted.  
  
Roxanne looked up and waved at Dorothy. “Hello, Thee!”  
  
“Where the ruddy hell is your brother?”  
  
Roxanne blinked once in surprise. “Hello, Rox. How’re you. Fine, Thee, thanks for asking.”  
  
Dorothy shot her an apologetic look. “Rox, please.”  
  
Roxanne sighed. “He got straight on the train. Hardly said goodbye to mum before he left.”  
  
Dorothy hugged her briefly before taking off towards the front most train car. “Thanks, Rox, you’re the best.”  
  
“Don’t I know it!” Roxanne called after Dorothy’s retreating figure.  
  
Dorothy hopped onto the train, her determination being pushed by her frustration. Luckily, Freddie wasn’t too hard to find.  
  
Dorothy opened the compartment door and stepped inside, slamming it shut behind her. Freddie rose to his feet, and opened his mouth to speak, but Dorothy cut him off. “Don’t even think about it.” Freddie’s mouth closed obediently. “Are you ready to discuss why you’ve been acting like a twit?”  
  
Freddie’s eyes hit the floor, looking everywhere but his best mate. Dorothy crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him. “I’m pulling away from you.”  
  
“Yeah, I bloody noticed, you dumb lard,” she snapped. “What the hell for?”  
  
“To make it easier,” he said, his eyes suddenly meeting hers. “You think I want to? That I don’t want to be around you?”  
  
“What are you going on about, Fred?”  
  
“It’s too hard!” Freddie shouted. “I can’t…I can’t _see_ you with him. I can’t…stand by and watch you and James be together and _happy_ …”  
  
“You said you were okay—”  
  
“Well, I’m not okay!” Freddie exclaimed. “I can’t do it, Dor. I just can’t.”  
  
Dorothy’s eyes bored into him, and the train whistle blew. The ground jerked as the train began moving. “Can’t do what,” she asked.  
  
“Any of it. All of it,” he said, slumping down into a seat. “Either one works.”  
  
“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Dorothy asked.  
  
Freddie sighed deeply, allowing the silence between them to settle for a moment before he spoke. “It means that eventually you’ll have to make a choice.”  
  
Dorothy blinked in surprise. “Between you and James? You…you would ask me to choose?”  
  
“Never,” Freddie said. “But I won’t need to ask. So to save you from that,” he paused here, his voice thick with emotion, “I’m choosing for you.”  
  
“Wait, what?” Dorothy asked, her voice small. Her anger with him was seemingly forgotten as she sat down across from him. “What are you saying?”  
  
Freddie swallowed thickly, unable to look at her. “What I’m saying is that I can’t be your friend while you date James. I refuse to watch it happen again. I can’t play along and pretend to be happy that you’ve set yourself up for heartbreak. That will strain your relationship, and I don’t want that, because even though I hate that you and James are together, I want you to be happy. So I’m walking away.”  
  
Dorothy felt her eyes well up with tears. “So as long as I’m dating James, you won’t be my friend?” she asked. “You’re my best friend, and you’re making me choose between you and James—”  
  
“I’m not making you choose,” he said, standing. “The choice has already been made.”  
  
“No,” Dorothy said, rising to her feet and grabbing his hand. “No, you can’t. We’re best mates, no matter what, remember? You can’t just walk out of my life!”  
  
Freddie pulled his hand out of hers. “I have to.” As he slid open the compartment door, the dam holding back her tears broke, and she was suddenly sobbing.  
  
“I choose you, Freddie!” she cried. “Please—”  
  
“But you don’t,” he choked out. “You’re in love with James. I’m just your best mate.”  
  
“I need you!”  
  
He turned to look at her, cupping her cheek slowly. Dorothy grabbed his hand with both of hers, holding him to her. “But you don’t. You’re strong, Dor. You’ll be alright.”  
  
“Fred,” she sobbed. He pulled his hand from her grasp and turned back around, walking away from her.  
  
“I hate you!” she screeched. His footsteps ceased. “I hate you, you selfish prat!”  
  
Without turning back to her, he merely replied, “It’s better this way.” He started walking again, quickly reaching the end of the car and entering the next.  
  
Dorothy fell to her knees, her shoulders shaking with the force of her sobs. “I hate you,” she moaned, wrapping her arms around herself. “Please stay.”  
  
***  
  
Fiona reluctantly knocked on the glass compartment door, watching as Hope looked up from what Fiona hoped was homework but knew was probably Quidditch plays and scowled. Taking a deep breath, Fiona opened the door. “Look,” she said, stepping inside the compartment. “I know you’re not talking to me right now, but Longbottom’s missing. Potter’s worried.” Hope stared blankly back at Fiona. “That was me asking if you would help look for her,” Fiona said agitatedly.  
  
“The train left almost an hour ago, and no one’s seen Dora?” Hope asked disbelieving.  
  
Fiona nodded. “That’s the story I got.”  
  
“Little, is Jacobs going to help us?” James shouted down the corridor.  
  
“Don’t get your panties in a twist, Potter, she’s coming!” Fiona yelled back. She looked to Hope. “You are coming, right? I can’t handle him by myself for another second or I may just kill him.”  
  
“Not for your benefit,” Hope said sharply as she stood to leave. “But to make sure Dora’s alright.”  
  
Fiona nodded, allowing Hope to lead the way out of the compartment. “Wouldn’t expect anything else.”  
  
“What’s going on, James?” Hope asked. Fiona sighed and let the compartment door fall shut, trailing behind her best friend.  
  
“Rox said that Dorothy went to find Freddie before the train left, but Fred kicked a group of Slytherins out of a compartment ages ago so he could work on designs,” James said. “No one’s seen Dorothy.”  
  
“Where have you already looked?” Hope asked.  
  
“Al, Lily, Rox, and Hugo took the front half of the train,” James said. “You haven’t seen her?”  
  
“I would’ve mentioned it if I had,” Hope replied. “Come on, let’s start at the back end—”  
  
“We’ve already been through cars up to here,” Fiona said quickly. “I saw you…Potter thought you’d want to help.”  
  
Hope stared at Fiona for a moment. “Let’s go then.”  
  
***  
  
“We’re almost to the front of the train,” Hugo said as the four entered a new car. He hastily blew at the bushy ginger locks that had fallen in his eyes as he looked to Lily for answers.  
  
“She’s got to be on here somewhere!” Lily said, nervousness evident in her voice.  
  
“Yeah, I watched her get on!” Roxanne said, repeating what had become a mantra for the past twenty minutes. “She asked where Freddie was—”  
  
“You said the train, she got on,” Albus snapped. “We get it, Rox; we got it the first time.”  
  
No one said anything for a moment. The silence was broken by Lily. “We’re all worried about her, Al.”  
  
“I’m not worried,” Al said shortly, peering inside a compartment.  
  
“What?” Roxanne asked.  
  
“I’m not worried,” Albus repeated. “The three of you are driving me fucking crazy! You won’t shut up! I know exactly what happened, we just need to find her so I can hex the bloody hell out of my ignorant older brother.”  
  
“What does James have to do with any of this?” Lily demanded.  
  
“Hm, I dunno, just the fact that he stole Freddie’s true love?” Albus shot back. “I warned him. I _told_ him not to mess with Thee, that it would ruin everything. Look who has to clean up his mess, _again_.”  
  
“Not everything is ruined,” Hugo said, grabbing Albus’s arm and forcing him to stop.  
  
“Oh, really, Hugh?” Albus asked, his hair messier than usual due to his stress. “What _hasn’t_ been ruined?”  
  
Hugo patted the wild mass of red curls on his head. “Thee and James are happy together.”  
  
“I don’t _care_ if they’re happy!” Albus hissed.  
  
“ALBUS!” Lily shouted. “Why are you being such a git?”  
  
“You’re usually the chilliest person in the family,” Roxanne reminded him.  
  
“There are certain things you don’t mess with,” Albus said.  
  
“Like what?” Lily demanded.  
  
“You’re too young to understa—”  
  
“I am _one year_ younger than you, Lily and Hugo are fourth years, _don’t even think about it, Potter_ ,” Roxanne growled.  
  
Albus sighed. “You don’t mess with _destiny_. Thee and Freddie are supposed to be together. They always have been. James is fucking it all up for his own selfish gain.”  
  
“Well, then who’s James’s destiny?” Lily asked, cocking an eyebrow suspiciously.  
  
Albus glared at his younger sister. “I haven’t figured that out yet,” he said, whirling back around and storming through the rest of the car.  
  
“You are so thick headed, Albus!” Lily cried after him as he slammed the door shut between the final two cars.  
  
Immediately as Albus entered the final car of the train, he laid eyes on Dorothy. “Thee?” he said, running down the corridor towards her. She was sitting on the ground outside of a compartment in the middle of the car with her knees to her chest. Her face was buried in them. Albus stopped in front of her, his previous anger melting away into concern. She had no idea about destiny or anything like that. She was blind. How could he be angry with her? “Thee?” he repeated.  
  
She didn’t respond. Albus slid down the wall beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She let out a harsh, choking sob as she leaned into him. Surprised, Albus tightened his grip around her. “Shh, it’s okay, Thee. Let it out.”  
  
The door to the car opened again as Lily, Roxanne, and Hugo entered the car. Albus turned to them and said, “Go get the others.”  
  
Nodding, the three took off running down the train.  
  
***  
  
“So, how was the rest of your break, James?” Hope asked as they entered a new train car.  
  
James looked at her curiously. “Fine,” he said curtly.  
  
Hope ran a hand through her loose red locks. “That’s good. Do anything fun?”  
  
“Is this really the time for small talk, Jacobs?” James asked, agitation hardening his tone.  
  
Hope let out a small laugh. “Well, it’s better than you brooding as you try to rip compartment doors from the walls,” Hope said, laying her hand on James’s as he went to open another door. “Relax, a little. We know she’s on the train. We’ll come across her eventually.”  
  
James stared at Hope for a moment, allowing his grip on the handle to slacken under her touch. “I—”  
  
“Breathe, James.” Taking a breath, he released the handle. Hope smiled at him. “Now, tell me about your break. Did you spend a lot of time with Dora?”  
  
He nodded, walking down the corridor with her. “Yeah, I did. It was nice.”  
  
“What’d the two of you do?”  
  
James allowed a small smile to pull at his lips. “Well, one day we just strolled around Diagon Alley. Talking, hanging out, snogging in the alleys between buildings,” Hope laughed at this, and James chuckled along with her. “We went ice skating on the pond at the Burrow—”  
  
“The pond out there freezes through enough to skate on it?” Hope asked, genuinely interested.  
  
“Sometimes it needs a little help, but yeah,” James replied. “It’s really nice, I’ve been skating out there since I was a kid—”  
  
“Are you two…friends?” Fiona asked abruptly. James and Hope stopped and turned to look at her. She had been trailing a few feet behind them. “Well, are you?”  
  
“We’re actually in a secret relationship,” Hope said, her eyes cold. “I didn’t want to tell you because we’re too busy snogging each other’s faces off to have the talk, and I just don’t trust your reaction.”  
  
Fiona pursed her lips and nodded, taking Hope’s verbal attack in stride. “Good to know. Someone better tell Longbottom though.”  
  
James chuckled softly and rolled his eyes, turning back around to walk forwards again. “Hufflepuffs.”  
  
“Are bloody fantastic and beautiful creatures, is how I assume you planned to end that sentence, Potter,” Hope said threateningly.   
  
“Of course, Jacobs.”  
  
The car door behind the three of them burst open before Hope could retort, and Hugo wheezed, “She’s in the front car with Al.”  
  
The smile fell off of James’s face as he began to run towards his cousin, Hope and Fiona close on his heels.  
  
***  
  
Albus was still holding Dorothy when the car door finally opened again about ten minutes later. “Thee?” James said, worry evident in his voice.  
  
Dorothy tightened her grip on Albus. He winced as she nicked his skin with one of her fingernails, but said nothing. “Dora?” Hope asked, following James towards her. While James sat down on her other side, Hope sat across the aisle from them.  
  
“Aren’t you going to go, too?” Roxanne asked.  
  
Fiona looked at the girl, surprised. “Uh, I’m not really all that good at this stuff.”  
  
“You just have to sit there,” Hugo said, furrowing his brow.  
  
“Hope still wants to kill you, right?” Lily asked, a knowing glint in her eye.  
  
Fiona nodded. “Longbottom looks like she doesn’t really need the added stress.”  
  
“Look, Roxanne, she’s wearing that creepy heart necklace Lou got her,” Lily said with a laugh.  
  
Fiona’s eyes widened in shock. “It’s not creepy!”  
  
“Dora?” Hope said, reaching out to place her hand on Dorothy’s knee. “Dora, what happened?”  
  
Dorothy simply buried herself deeper into Albus. James rubbed her back slowly and said, “Talk to us, Dorothy.”  
  
After a moment, she said in a barely audible voice, “He’s gone.”  
  
“Who’s gone?” Hope asked.  
  
“He’s gone,” Dorothy repeated.  
  
Hope looked up at James and Albus. “Who is she talking about?”  
  
James shrugged. “I have no idea.”  
  
“That’s all she’ll say,” Albus said. “He’s gone.”  
  
“He’s _gone_ ,” she wailed softly.  
  
“Merlin, they’re idiots,” Fiona said, a pained expression on her face. She walked towards Dorothy and squatted down next to her. “Are you talking about Freddie?”  
  
Immediately, Dorothy let out a loud wail, choking on the sob that followed it. Her shoulders shook violently, and Albus tightened his arms around her. “How the bloody hell did you figure that out?” Albus demanded, rocking slightly in his attempt to soothe Dorothy.  
  
Fiona sighed, settling down onto her bum. “He’s not here.”  
  
“What happened between you and Fred?” James asked, rubbing circles onto Dorothy’s back.  
  
She only cried harder, her tears soaking through Albus’s shirt and her grasp squeezing him painfully. “She’s going to dehydrate,” Albus said.  
  
Dorothy suddenly slumped in his arms, unconscious. Fiona stood and pocketed her wand. “Carry her into a compartment. Someone find the trolley lady and get a pumpkin juice. She’s been crying for hours, she needs to stop and drink something.”  
  
“You knocked out my girlfriend,” James said dumbly.  
  
“Canny observation, Potter,” Fiona said.  
  
“Was that really necessary?” Hope snapped, rising to her feet.  
  
Standing, Hope was still a few inches shorter than Fiona, who looked down at her and said, “Medically, yes. Unless you’d like her to get sick from dehydration. I merely sedated her. She’ll come around in about five minutes, which is enough time for us to move into a compartment and get some pumpkin juice.”  
  
James and Albus worked together to carry Dorothy into a near compartment and laid her on one of the seats.  
  
Fiona stared down at her friend’s limp body and bit her lip. “She’ll come round in a few. I’ll—I’ll just go find the trolley lady.” She slipped out of the compartment before anyone could say anything to stop her. Once the compartment door latched, Fiona released the breath she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding. Swiping violently at her eyes, she took a steadying breath and headed off down the train.


	22. I Just Want to Work It Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Whoops."
> 
> "I'll get you for that, Jacobs."
> 
> "I'd like to see you try, Potter."

“Fred.”  
  
Freddie didn’t look up from the parchment spread out in front of him, nor did he indicate that he had heard his name being spoken.  
  
“Fred, come on. We’re mates; you’ve got to stop ignoring me.”  
  
“What do you want, James?” Freddie asked, his tone biting and cold.  
  
James sighed and slid into the seat on the other side of Freddie’s library table. “I want you to talk to me. You’ve been my best mate since we were in diapers, and we haven’t really talked in months. I don’t know what I did—”  
  
Freddie’s glare silenced James immediately. “Don’t even try to pull that shit, James.”  
  
“Why the bloody hell not?” James snapped. “It’s not like you’ll talk to me. You never told me if you fancied Dorothy, you can’t hate me for making a move—”  
  
“I don’t fancy Dor.”  
  
James laughed. “So you’re not talking to either of us…why?”  
  
“Like you don’t know,” Freddie spat.  
  
“I don’t!” James exclaimed. “Dorothy refuses to talk about it, she just about shuts down if your name comes up in conversation! I’m in the dark here, Fred, and I’m sick of it! I deserve to know what’s going on!”  
  
“Do you?” Fred asked, his face twisted with great displeasure. “What does my relationship with Dor have to do with you?”  
  
“Fred, please,” James pleaded. “She’s my girl, you’re my best mate…like it or not, I’m in the middle of this.”  
  
“Yeah, you’re in the middle of this alright,” Fred said, as he collected his papers in a haphazard stack and stood violently from the table. “So maybe you should go back to what you do best and stay the hell out of it.”  
  
James jumped to his feet and grabbed Freddie’s arm, yanking him back. “You don’t get to take out your frustration on everyone that cares about you, Fred!”  
  
“What do you care, James?” Fred shot back. “Like you said, we haven’t talked in months! Where were you then, trying to get into my head? You only give a shit because your perfect bird isn’t so perfect anymore—”  
  
“I love her, I want to protect—”  
  
“As if you even know what love _is_!”  
  
“And you do, Mr. One Night Stand?” James shouted. “I may not know what love is, but I’m a hell of a lot closer to figuring it out than someone who’s so scared of opening up to another person he hides in his bed sheets—”  
  
James flew backwards, slamming hard into the bookshelf. His hand reached up and grabbed his nose, which was bleeding profusely. He watched as Freddie shook his out his hand, and the two of them stared blindly at each other. The air between them hung thick like a wall, separating the boys in a way they had never been separated before. Something had changed between them. “You punched me.”  
  
“You don’t get to judge me, James. It’s my life, and I’ll live it the way I want to.”  
  
“Is this what we’ve come to?” James asked. “We’re bloody family for Merlin’s sake! Practically brothers!”  
  
“We’re cousins,” Fred spat. “And that’s it.”  
  
“What the hell happened to you?!” James cried. Freddie didn’t respond. He disappeared out of the doors of the library, leaving James and the shards of their broken relationship behind him.  
  
James sank back into a chair, holding his broken nose in both hands, cursing as his eyes watered from the throbbing pain.  
  
“I thought that was you.”  
  
James looked up as Hope pulled out a chair and sat down across from him. He rolled his eyes and said, “How much did you hear?”  
  
Hope shot him a wry smile. “You and Freddie aren’t very quiet.” She laughed as he rolled his eyes. “Looks like he got a good cut.”  
  
“Hurts like a bitch,” he replied dryly. Hope stood and walked over to him, gesturing for him to scoot his chair backwards a bit. He did, and she plopped herself down on the table in front of him. She reached forward and pulled his face closer to her, prying his hands off of his bleeding nose. He winced as her fingers prodded his bruising face. “Yes, all of this makes it hurt a lot more, Jacobs.”  
  
“Don’t be such a baby, Potter,” she snapped. “A Bludger to the nose hurts a hell of a lot more than a fist.”  
  
She reached to her boot and pulled her wand out. “No, don’t, I can’t— _Fuck!_ ” he shrieked as there was a loud crack and his nose reset itself. Hope smiled and tucked her wand back into her boot. “Merlin, Jacobs, warn someone, would you?”  
  
“Are you crying?” Hope asked incredulously.  
  
“It hurts, you bint!”  
  
Hope laughed loudly. “You’re such a poof.”  
  
“Bugger off, Hope,” he grumbled, wiping at the blood on his face with his shirt sleeve. Hope made a face of disgust. “What are you doing here anyway?”  
  
“Zabini’s threatened to have me benched from the Hufflepuff-Gryffindor match if I don’t keep up with my revisions. It’s two months away, he’s bloody ridiculous.”  
  
James chuckled. “Of course.”  
  
“Hey, scouts are coming to that game to watch your fat arse; I need to show them I’m much more impressive.”  
  
“You can have my scouts,” James said, rolling his eyes. “I don’t want to play professional Quidditch.”  
  
“Right,” Hope said, as she placed her hands behind her and leaned into them. “Following the old man into Auror training.”  
  
“I’m not following my dad,” James said. “I want to make a difference.”  
  
“Noble,” Hope said, smirking at him. “Have you submitted your application yet?”  
  
“No,” James said. “I’ve got time!” he shot defensively at her accusatory look.  
  
Hope looked at him curiously. “For someone who knows exactly what he wants to do, you don’t have much motivation to go after it.”  
  
James shrugged. “I just haven’t had time.”  
  
“Not a spare moment over break to fill out an application?” Hope asked. “Whatever you want to do. You know, it’s okay if you want to change the plan, James.”  
  
He shook his head. “I don’t.”  
  
Hope leaned forward slightly, looking at him intently. Before she could say anything, there was a loud cough beside them. James and Hope looked over to see Lily standing at the end of the aisle, staring at them curiously. It was at this moment that the two of them realized the way they must’ve looked with James sitting between Hope’s legs, leaning towards each other. James stood quickly and his hand flew to his hair as Hope pulled her feet up onto the desk to bring her knees to her chest with such force she nearly toppled backwards off of the table.  
  
“Am I interrupting something?” Lily asked suspiciously.  
  
“Nope, not at all,” James said quickly.  
  
“Just chatting,” Hope said, crossing her ankles and shooting Lily a smile.  
  
Lily’s eyes flashed back and forth between the two before she finally said, “Whatever you say. I’m glad I found you, James, I needed to ask you something.”  
  
As Lily made her way towards them, James replied, “What’s up, Lil?”  
  
She placed a large textbook at the end of the table, right by Hope’s feet. “I’ve got a Defense practical coming up, and I’m complete and utter rubbish at hex-deflection.”  
  
James chuckled. “So you want my help?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
Hope grinned. “Did you just ask your older brother to toss hexes you so you can practice deflecting them?”  
  
“Well, there’s more to it than that,” James said quickly, grabbing hold of the book and flipping to a page in the middle portion of the text. “It’s all about being faster than your opponent.” Hope watched curiously as James’s eyes skimmed quickly over the page he’d opened to, and then he slammed the book shut.  
  
“You’re not using the book?” Lily asked nervously.  
  
“Course not,” James said, tossing his slightly too long locks casually. “Books are good for reference, but Defense is all about _doing_. You can have all the theory in the world, but you’ll never master deflection without actually deflecting. Now, first, show me how you would normally go about deflecting a hex.”  
  
Hope watched as Lily made a large movement with her wand across her body. “Alright, first things first. Your movement is too large. It’s all in the wrist; a small flick goes a long way.” Wrapping his arms around his younger sister, James guided her wand arm slowly in the proper technique. “Now you try.” He watched closely as she repeated the motion. “Great, that’s it. Hope, hex Lily.”  
  
Hope choked on the breath she’d just taken. “I’m sorry?”  
  
“Hex her,” James repeated. “Not a bad one or anything, I’m talking like Ear Twitching or something.”  
  
“But—” Hope protested.  
  
“Just do it so I can watch,” James said as he sat on the table top beside Hope. “Ready, Lil?”  
  
Lily looked hesitantly from Hope to James as Hope stood, but nodded. “Alright,” he said with a nod. “Whenever you’re ready, Hope.”  
  
Biting her lip uncomfortably, Hope shot a hex Lily’s way. Lily’s attempt to block the hex failed, and she glared darkly at James as her ears began twitching violently.  
  
“I’m sorry, Lily!” Hope squeaked as she shifted her weight nervously from foot to foot, also turning a glare on James.  
  
“Don’t apologize, Hope,” James said, hopping down. “Alright, Lil, you’re waiting for her to finish casting. By that time, you’ll never be able to block it.”  
  
“How do I know I’m supposed to block a hex before it’s been cast, James?” Lily snapped, irritated.  
  
“The same way you know when to intercept the Quaffle,” James said. “You move with your opponent. You want to be one step ahead of them.”  
  
Lily looked at her brother, her confusion evident. “But won’t I be too early?”  
  
“Here, let me show you,” James said as he turned from Lily to Hope. “Hope?”  
  
Hope groaned and crossed her arms across her chest. “How the hell did I get wrapped up in this?”  
  
“You were luckily here,” James said with a grin. “Hex me.”  
  
“Bloody hell,” Hope said with a frown. “Do I have to?”  
  
“Yes.” James took a stance and waited, staring at Hope with anticipation. She merely cocked a challenging eyebrow at him. “Circe, Hope, you’re not going to hit me.”  
  
She snorted loudly and flicked her wand with aggression. James moved with her, and her spell was thrown to the side. Hope’s eyes widened and she sent another hex his way, which he easily blocked. “You see, Lil? By moving as soon as you see your opponent move, your block hits the spell well before it would hit you.”  
  
“I think I can do it,” Lily said, making eye contact with Hope nervously. “Hex me.”  
  
Hope nodded and sent a spell towards Lily. Following James’s instructions, she tossed the spell to the side. “James!” Lily shrieked, jumping into her older brother’s arms. “I did it!”  
  
“You did!” he said hugging her. “Now, do it again.”  
  
***  
  
Fiona was sitting in one of the Astronomy Tower’s large stone windows. Her legs dangled over the edge and she was staring hundreds of meters down past her feet at the grounds below her. Her shoulder was lodged in the rough stone and her head rested above it. Her feet kicked slightly in the wind against the outer wall of the castle.  
  
“Bloody hell,” a voice cursed from behind her.  
  
Fiona’s head turned back to see Freddie standing at the top of the steps, staring at her. “What,” she said softly.  
  
“Nothing,” he said, his voice agitated. “I didn’t realize this place was occupied.”  
  
“For Merlin’s sake, Fred, it’s just me,” Fiona said, rolling her eyes. She turned her gaze back to the ground. “The Tower’s plenty big for the two of us.” He didn’t leave, but he didn’t say anything either. “I’m not going to ask you about Longbottom, if that’s what you’re afraid of.”  
  
A moment passed, and then Fiona heard Freddie walking slowly towards her. He dropped his satchel at the base of the window Fiona was perched in and climbed up beside her.  
  
“A whole tower and you pick to sit with me,” Fiona said without looking at him.  
  
Freddie didn’t respond for a moment. “We may as well be lonely together,” he said finally.  
  
This time, it was Fiona who took her time responding. Her eyes slid over to look at Freddie, studying him silently. Her eyes fell to his bloodied knuckles. “That looks painful.”  
  
Freddie’s eyes fell to his hand and he shrugged. “Had worse.”  
  
“I can heal that for you,” she said.  
  
“I was going to head to Madam Whittle after dinner.”  
  
“Dinner ended three hours ago.”  
  
“Still after dinner, isn’t it?”  
  
“Just give me your damn hand, Weasley.”  
  
Begrudgingly, Freddie leaned towards Fiona and offered her his mangled appendage. She picked up her wand from beside her and tapped his flesh. He winced slightly as his hand healed itself. She let him go and settled back against the window frame.  
  
“Thanks,” he said, flexing his newly healed hand. She shrugged. Freddie stared at her for a moment, then shook his head.  
  
“What?”  
  
“You’re just,” Freddie faltered, then picked up again. “Impressive.”  
  
“I don’t know if I appreciate the tone of surprise there, Weasley,” she said, her voice flat and dangerous.  
  
“You just nonverbally healed my hand with a charm,” Freddie said. “I know for a fact Madam Whittle would’ve used Essence of Dittany.”  
  
“That’s just because she’s obsessed with the stuff,” she muttered, fighting the blush rising on her cheeks.  
  
Freddie looked over at Fiona for a moment and sighed. “You know, you’re going to make a really good Healer.”  
  
Fiona couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks.”  
  
“So,” Freddie said, leaning back into the stone wall. “Who are you hiding from?”  
  
Fiona looked up at him with a cold glare, silent for a moment. “Let’s just say, you’re not the only one who screwed up.”  
  
***  
  
“I must say, I didn’t know you had that in you,” Hope said as she and James walked side by side down the stairs almost half an hour later.  
  
“What?” James asked, looking sideways at her. “Skill?”  
  
“Absolutely,” Hope said, rolling her eyes. “Thought you were a rubbish excuse of a wizard up until now, Potter.” He laughed at her sarcasm, nudging her arm with his. “I meant,” she said between laughs, “I didn’t know you could teach.”  
  
James shook his head. “I can’t teach.”  
  
Hope froze in her tracks. “What the hell do you call the past half hour then?”  
  
“I was just helping my sister with Defense. I do it all the time, it’s my best subject,” James replied. “That doesn’t mean I can teach.”  
  
“Considering it took you thirty minutes to help Lily excel in a difficult concept that her professor has been teaching for, what, two weeks now?” Hope pressed. “I’d say you can teach.”  
  
James shook his head. “I just know how to explain it in a way she understands.”  
  
Hope looked over at him, a small smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. “Whatever you say, James.”  
  
“James!”  
  
Hope and James stopped walking and turned back to where the voice came from. Hurrying to catch up behind them was Dorothy, her arms laden with textbooks and parchment, a large smile on her face. “Oh, hello, Hope! I was wondering who James was walking with.”  
  
“We ran into each other in the library,” Hope said, watching as James swooped down and pressed a kiss to his girlfriend’s waiting mouth. “He was just walking me back to the dormitory.”  
  
“What were you doing in the library?” Dorothy asked, surprise evident in her voice.  
  
James scowled playfully as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and the three of them continued down the corridor. “I go to the library!”  
  
“Not as often as you should,” Dorothy teased.  
  
“Where are you coming from, Dora?” Hope asked. “We didn’t see you in the stacks.”  
  
“No, I found a new study spot in the empty greenhouse,” Dorothy said. “It stays warm enough, and it’s nice to watch the snow fall.”  
  
“I was wondering why your nose was so cold,” James mentioned as he pressed his lips against her temple.  
  
Hope looked at Dorothy curiously, but buried her questions. She suspected Dorothy was merely trying to hide from Freddie, because the library had always been one of her favorite places in the castle. Hope’s eyes slid up to James’s face, trying to decipher whether or not he was suspicious as well, and frowned as she saw no indication that he’d noticed.  
  
“What’s with the long face, Jacobs?” James asked, meeting Hope’s questioning glance.  
  
“Oh, nothing,” Hope said, forcing a smile. James looked as though he didn’t believe her, but didn’t want to ask. Hope frowned internally; there was no way she was a worse liar than Dorothy Longbottom. “I think I’m going to pop in Drummand’s office to check on those scouts I’m stealing from you,” she said with a grin. “Got to make sure she sent that recommendation to the Harpies for me as well. I’ll see the two of you later, though, yeah?” She was backing away from them, her stomach churning uncomfortably as she looked from Dorothy’s encouraging smile to James’s suspicion.  
  
“See you, then, Hope!” Dorothy said, still clutching her books. Hope wondered why James hadn’t taken the load from her.  
  
“Thanks for all the help,” James said slowly. Hope knew he was contemplating whether or not to push the issue of her sudden change in mood.  
  
“Course,” Hope said, a small smile on her lips. James smiled back. Hope stared at them as they turned away from her and continued down the corridor, not really talking. They seemed content just to be with each other.  
  
Hope raised her wand and flicked it at the back of James’s head, and he yelped when the hex made contact. He whirled around to see her grinning widely at him. “Whoops.”  
  
He laughed and gripped his twitching ears tightly in his hands. “I’ll get you for that, Jacobs.”  
  
“I’d like to see you try, Potter,” she shot back as she tossed her bouncy red locks over her shoulder, skipping off the opposite way down the corridor.  
  
***  
  
“Drummand would be lost without me,” Hope lamented as she laid her head back onto her pillow with a sigh.  
  
Dorothy snorted from the other side of the room. “I don’t know if I would say _lost_ …”  
  
Hope turned a playful glare on her friend. “Dora, you don’t understand what I do for the woman. She’d have nothing to do without me camping out in her office at any hour of the day.”  
  
“Which I’m sure she’ll be eternally grateful for,” Dorothy shot back. She was staring at her reflection in the mirror as she braided her hair, trying to ignore the red rims left around her eyes.  
  
The door to the dormitory opened suddenly and both girls turned to look at who stood there. Fiona stared back, not moving. She turned her eyes on Hope. “Are you quite done?” she asked, her voice low and tired.  
  
Hope looked at her and pursed her lips. “Hmm,” she said as she sat up. She swung her legs off the side of the bed and placed her hands on her knees. “Yeah, I think so.”  
  
“Thank Merlin,” Fiona said, striding into the room and falling face first onto Hope’s four poster.  
  
“Wait, are you two friends again?” Dorothy asked curiously.  
  
“Woman!” Hope said, prodding her best friend violently in the side. “We’re supposed to hug! There are _rules_ we follow at the end of a fight. There’s _procedure_ , damnit.” Fiona grunted noncommittally, making no effort to move. Hope huffed in resignation. “You’re the worst.”  
  
Fiona turned her head to the side. “You love me.”  
  
“Unfortunately.”  
  
Fiona rolled over and sighed, draping an arm across her eyes. “I know you’ve been dying, so you might as well start the torture now.”  
  
Hope squealed excitedly and hopped up on her knees, causing Fiona to bounce on the mattress. “Tell me _everything_ , you slag!”  
  
Dorothy grinned at her two best friends, securing the plait with a rubber band, and hurried over to listen in on Fiona’s love affair.  
  
A stupid smile pulled across Fiona's face as she began, "Well..." Her voice stopped suddenly, and she bit her bottom lip. "I'm in love with Louis Weasley."


	23. I Just Want to Be Happy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "As a supportive boyfriend, you're supposed to be happy and encouraging."
> 
> "Supportive boyfriends don't exist in Quidditch rivalries."

“Oi, Puffs!” Hope shouted over the cold January wind. She was hovering on her broom in the center of the pitch, her unforgiving eyes dancing from player to player. However, rather than sitting on her broom, she was easily balanced on the balls of her feet. “Our final match of the season is less than two months away!  And bloody hell, I _need_ that Cup. There are two matches before we play Gryffindor, but we can easily outscore anything they come up with. We’ve been underdogs from the start; we need to show Hogwarts what we’re made of. Hufflepuff is not to be underestimated. So I don’t want to hear any whining, any teeth chattering, or any complaints. It’s January, I get that it’s cold, but you go to magic school; learn a damn warming charm and stay on your brooms! We are looking for victory! Get it together!”  
  
“Yes, Cap!” the team shouted back, looking weary but determined. Greg was shivering so badly he could hardly stay on his broom. Marcus looked over and cloaked the youngest player in a warming charm.  
  
“Dora!” Hope said, turning her attention on Dorothy, who was standing in the announcer’s box, observing. “Notes from last practice!” She reached down towards the handle of her broom and gripped it firmly, quickly shifting her weight from her feet to her hands and holding a graceful handstand.  
  
Dorothy held her wand to her throat to amplify her voice over the blustery morning. “Chasers first today,” she began, holding her book in her mitten clad hand. “Marcus, you’re doing a really great job and have improved immensely since last season. And you’ve been leading Jesse and Greg really well, I honestly can’t believe you were reserve last year.”  
  
“Thanks, Thee,” Marcus called with a grin.  
  
“However,” she continued. “Your left shot sucks. Still.” Laughter broke out amongst the three Chasers. “So aim for that hoop, yeah? Your record is about thirty percent compared to seventy in the other hoops.  
  
“Greg, you’re an amazing offensive flyer, and your size helps that. But you’re too timid defensively. You need to get in there and get the Quaffle, don’t be scared because the other Chasers are bigger than you, you move better than they do.” Greg flashed Dorothy a thumbs up.  
  
“Jesse, you pass too easily. Hold on to the Quaffle, you’ve got great control over it, but it never stays in your hands long enough for you to realize it.”  
  
Dorothy fumbled with the book to turn the page and continued, “Beaters. Kyle, did you pull a muscle last week?”  
  
Kyle nodded. “Whittle fixed it!”  
  
“Good, don’t do that again,” she replied. “Use more of your body when you hit the Bludger so it doesn’t strain your shoulder. Your whole torso should rotate. Fiona, stop worrying about Bludgers flying close to Hope. She’s a big girl, she can do a Sloth Grip Roll. It’s distracting you.  
  
“And Hope, your note is similar, stop worrying about the team. You’ve captained us all into capable players. Trust that. It’s rare that the Snitch is found and caught in less than two minutes, but if it is when we play Gryffindor, that’ll be Albus and not you. You spend too much time watching everyone else instead of doing your job. So do your job. Whether you think so or not, you’re actually quite good at it.”  
  
Hope nodded, pushing off the broomstick out of her handstand and landing sidesaddle. “Right. Chasers, fly suicides. I want the three of you to be a cohesive unit. Beaters, target practice. You hit one of my Chasers, you die. I want your Bludgers cleanly through the hoops.”  
  
Hope flew up to join Dorothy in the announcer’s box, allowing Fiona and Marcus to run their respective drills. “Reed, you’re a bloody fifth year, you know how to cast a warming charm,” she heard Fiona huff indignantly as she whacked an angry Bludger in the fifth year’s direction.  
  
“How’re my dives looking?” she asked Dorothy as she dismounted. “I feel like something is of when I pull out of them—”  
  
“That’s because you’re finally doing them right,” Dorothy said with a smile. “You’ll feel awkward for a bit, but that’s just because you’ve been doing this weird thing with your hips that made you shaky. The only thing you need to work on is trusting that your team knows what they’re doing. It kills your focus.”  
  
“Jesse, wake up!” Marcus shouted, chucking the Quaffle at the fourth year’s head.  
  
“Sorry, mate,” he said with a yawn. “Seriously, Cap, was seven am practice on a Saturday necessary? There’s snow on the ground.”  
  
Before Hope could even scold him, Jesse shrieked and ducked a rouge Bludger barreling towards his face. “No complaining, Templeton!” Kyle roared. “No pain, no gain!”  
  
Hope shared a look with Dorothy, and then turned her gaze on Fiona, who was looking at Kyle with pride. “Merlin, I’ve raised you well,” Fiona said.  
  
“I’m glad my Beaters were paying attention to my motivational speech,” Hope said with a shrug. “But Kyle, no blood, got it? I need this team in tip top shape so Gryffindor won’t stand a chance come March.”  
  
“You got it, Cap,” Kyle said with a grin.  
  
“I’ve actually wanted to talk to you about that,” Dorothy said to Hope as she began flipping through the pages of her notebook.  
  
Hope looked at her friend curiously. “What do you mean?”  
  
“Well, I peeked at some of James’s Quidditch stuff the other day—”  
  
“You’re devious and I like you.”  
  
“Yes, of course,” Dorothy said with a grin. “But ever since they lost to Slytherin, he’s been going crazy trying to prove they still have a chance for the Cup. He’s got some really intricate plays he’s been working on that look really, well, _good_ , and I was thinking that maybe we should try to bring some… _flavor_ to our game.”  
  
Hope tilted her head. “I think I’m going to like where this is headed. Talk more.”  
  
“Well, I haven’t plotted anything out yet, but you know how you can do all those tricks on a broom?”  
  
“Like, the handstand?” she asked, obviously confused.  
  
“Yes,” Dorothy said, finally finding the right page. “I was thinking, why don’t we try to make some plays using broom tricks? Not only would it be totally unexpected, but it would really force the team to perfect plays and angles and—”  
  
“HOLY MERLIN, EXTREME QUIDDITCH!” Hope shouted. “I can see it, I need a quill…” Hope’s voice fell off as she began to pace. “I have so many ideas. Bloody hell, this is going to be amazing!” She turned to Dorothy beaming.  
  
“Really?” Dorothy said, smiling.  
  
“Yes!” Hope exclaimed as she dove out of the booth, waiting to straddle the broom in her hand until mid-fall. “OI, GATHER!” she shouted.  
  
“What’s up, Cap?” Kyle asked. “Practice just started.”  
  
“I’ve been conditioning you all year to sit on your arse on a broom and fly around,” Hope said. “That changes immediately. Because by the time we play Gryffindor, you’ll be _leaping_ off your brooms and flying around.”  
  
“ _What?!_ ” Jesse cried.  
  
“Hush, Templeton,” Hope snapped. “I’m going to be introducing some new plays involving some really awesome broom tricks, but you all need to build your core and stamina.”  
  
“Wait, why are we doing this?” Jesse asked.  
  
“Besides the fact that it’s _awesome_ , it’s totally unexpected. It’ll throw Gryffindor off their game, and they’ve got a chip on their shoulder since they lost to Slytherin. We need to be ready. Everyone, on the ground.” Hope turned back to Dorothy. “Dora!” she called. “Can you run?”  
  
Dorothy shrugged. “Sure! Whittle never said I couldn’t!”  
  
“Awesome! Get your arse on the pitch; you’re all running laps,” Hope said. Dorothy disappeared to climb the stairs to the ground while Hope led the rest of the team to the snowy pitch.  
  
“ _We’re_ all running laps?” Fiona asked. “What’re you doing?”  
  
“Writing new plays,” Hope said. “I ran laps this morning.” She let out an excited laugh. “Merlin, I will never pay attention in Transfig again, I have so many ideas!” Hope turned to head towards the changing rooms.  
  
“Where are you going?” Marcus called. “There’s an hour of practice left!”  
  
“Yes, and you’re running for it! I have plays to write!” Hope shouted. “I’ll be in the stands, begin!”  
  
***  
  
“So, Hope had you all _run_ for over an hour?” James asked, his fingers rubbing circles into Dorothy’s shoulder blades. He was sitting on the couch in the Hufflepuff common room in front of the fire with Dorothy at his feet.  
  
“Yes,” Dorothy said, her head lolling to the side under James’s ministrations. “She’s decided that ground work will help us in the sky.”  
  
“Sure, a strong core helps your broom control,” James replied. “And it’s nice you get to participate in something. Seems like you were out of commission for ever.”  
  
“Sure felt like it,” Dorothy agreed. “But I didn’t realize how out of shape I was. It’s a lot of work, but hopefully I’ll get back to where I was before the final match.”  
  
“Well, I obviously can’t allow that, can I?”  
  
Dorothy giggled, swatting playfully at his leg. “As a supportive boyfriend, you’re supposed to be happy and encouraging.”  
  
“Supportive boyfriends don’t exist in Quidditch rivalries.”  
  
Dorothy gasped loudly and turned to face him. “James!”  
  
He shot her a saucy grin. “However, I did bring you something to wear for next week’s match against Ravenclaw.” Dorothy watched as he reached into his satchel and pulled out a folded up shirt, which he handed to her.  
  
Dorothy took it in her hands and unfolded it, staring silently at the gold letters spelling “J. POTTER” across the back of the scarlet cloth. “One of your old Quidditch kits,” she said softly.  
  
“Yeah,” he said, a smile pulling at his lips. “I figured you could wear it to the match, y’know.”  
  
Dorothy gripped the shirt tightly in her hands, trying to compose herself. She’d wanted to wear James Potter’s Quidditch kit to a Gryffindor game for practically her entire life, and now she finally could. “Thank you,” she said softly, blinking back tears. She wasn’t happy. Why wasn’t she happy?  
  
“You do want to wear it, right?” James asked, slightly nervous at her reaction.  
  
“Yes, of course I do,” she said, forcing a smile as she leaned up to peck his cheek.  
  
James grinned. “Good. I want everyone to know you’re mine.”  
  
Dorothy nodded, folding the shirt back up in silence. She was allowed to be happy.  
  
***  
  
“Where’s James?” Fiona asked as Dorothy sat down across from her and Hope alone at breakfast.  
  
Yawning, she replied, “Early practice. He’s been really hard on the team since they lost to Slytherin, wants to make sure they beat Ravenclaw by enough to still have a chance at the Cup.”  
  
Hope snorted, not bothering to look up from the play she was currently sketching out. “He has to go through us for that Cup, so either way he’s got no chance.”  
  
Dorothy smiled, reaching for the stack of toast in front of her. “Might as well make it a fair fight.”  
  
The conversation was interrupted by the screeching of owls as the morning post flew loudly into the room. Hector, the Potter’s owl, landed ungracefully on Dorothy’s plate while Hibou, Louis’s owl, perched decidedly on top of Fiona’s head.  
  
Fiona looked upwards at the bird and glared. “You need to get out of this habit, Hibou,” she said angrily, reaching up and grabbing the parcel from his mouth.  
  
“A parcel?” Hope asked curiously, not even bothering to question Hibou’s new nesting place.  
  
“Hell if I know,” Fiona said, slight excitement evident in her tone. “He sent me this really cool key they found on a dig once. Put it on a chain for me. Maybe it’s something like that.”  
  
“How long has Hibou been doing that?” Dorothy asked as she pulled the parchment from Hector’s foot.  
  
“Landing on my head?” Fiona asked. “A week or so. Lou thinks it’s funny.”  
  
“Damn, this is for Albus,” Dorothy muttered as Fiona opened the letter taped to the top of her parcel. Dorothy looked at Hector seriously. “Do I look like Albus?” The owl hooted in response, taking flight and scattering feathers and food across the tabletop.  
  
“I’d take that as a yes,” Hope said with a grin.  
  
Dorothy rolled her eyes and pocketed the note. “I’ll give it to him later.”  
  
Fiona giggled softly, a stupid smile pulled across her face as she read through Louis’s letter.  
  
“I honestly don’t know how I missed this,” Hope said as she stared at her best friend with a mixture of awe and disgust. “You’re like a completely different creature.”  
  
“What’d he send you?” Dorothy asked, taking a large bite of her toast.  
  
“Something for the match,” she said, folding up the letter and depositing it into her satchel. “Did I mention he’s coming up for that?” There was a soft hoot as Fiona moved around. “Hibou, I’ll give you a reply later, go back to the owlery.” With another hoot, Hibou took off. Fiona pulled the package towards her and ripped the paper, revealing a beaten red shirt.  
  
“Is that—?” Hope began.  
  
“His Quidditch kit,” Fiona said softly, pulling it from the paper. She held it up in front of her to reveal “L. WEASLEY” emblazoned on the back in faded gold.  
  
“What’s that?” a voice sneered. Fiona looked up to see Hettie and Tabitha standing behind Dorothy. Hettie’s arms were crossed as she looked at Fiona expectantly, waiting for an answer.  
  
Hope smirked. “It’s—”  
  
“None of your business,” Fiona said quickly. “Move along.”  
  
“Is that a letter I see in your satchel?” Hettie said in a sickeningly sweet voice, summoning it to herself.  
  
“Hey!” Fiona cried, jumping up. “That’s private, you twit!”  
  
“Sharing is caring, Fiona, isn’t that what Hufflepuff is all about?” Hettie said, opening the letter to read. She cleared her throat loudly. “ _My Fi_ ,” she began with a laugh. “Who’s this from, your daddy?”  
  
“Hettie, stop it,” Hope said, looking nervously from Fiona to Tabitha.  
  
“Oh, hush, Jacobs,” Hettie snapped. “Now, where was I… _right_. My Fi,” she said with a snigger. “ _These past few weeks of you being back at Hogwarts have moved so slowly. I never thought how hard it would be to be away from you again after being able to spend your holiday together. I miss being with you. Thankfully, the match against Ravenclaw is so soon, I don’t think I’ll be able to last much longer without you in my arms._ ” Hettie looked up from the letter with a snort. “What, you get yourself a little boyfriend over holiday, Fiona?”  
  
“Give me the damn letter, Langley,” Fiona threatened, afraid summoning it back would damage it.  
  
“I’m not done,” she shot back venomously. “But I’ll make it quick. Don’t want any of the ugliness of whatever bloke that decided to shack up with you to stick around me.” Hettie looked back down to the letter. “Ooh, snogging in your bedroom, Little? Scandalous.”  
  
“Hettie,” Dorothy said, shooting her a look of annoyance.  
  
“Hush, Longbottom,” Hettie replied. “Now who’s this from, I bet he’s got a gross name to fit his gross features…” Hettie scanned the rest of the parchment, then read aloud with pride, “ _All my love, Louis._ ”  
  
Tabitha blinked. “What?”  
  
Hettie stared at the letter, then back up to Fiona. “This is another Louis, right?”  
  
Fiona smirked at their dumbfounded expressions and held up his Quidditch kit. “Would another Louis be sending me a Weasley’s Quidditch kit to wear at the match?”  
  
“But,” Hettie said, trying to find her words. “But you _hate_ each other!”  
  
“ _All my love_ doesn’t really sound like they hate each other, does it, Dora?” Hope said.  
  
Fiona blushed under Hope’s teasing gaze. “Shut up, Jacobs.”  
  
Hettie thrust the letter back at Fiona and said, “I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, but I know Louis Weasley would never date _you_. Forge all the letters you want, transfigure a shirt…I won’t believe it until I see it. Let’s go, Tabitha.”  
  
Fiona looked over at Tabitha and saw the confusion in her eyes. Guilt gnawed at her uncomfortably. Before either could say anything, Tabitha turned and followed Hettie out of the Great Hall.  
  
“That was amazing!” Hope said with a laugh. “Why didn’t you just tell her it was Louis’s kit?”  
  
“Bruce may be a horrible bitch, but…I dunno. Lou fancied me while he dated her, he said my name in the Hospital, and now he and I are together. I feel like I took him from her. And we were friends once.”  
  
“Fi, she cheated on him and then told the whole school it was the other way around. She practically ruined his seventh year,” Dorothy reminded her. “He had her face on a dartboard in the dormitory.”  
  
“I know,” Fiona said, shaking her head. She reached out for the letter and placed it back in her bag with the kit. “She was a pathetic excuse for a human being and a Hufflepuff.”  
  
“You’re allowed to be happy, Fiona,” Dorothy said.  
  
Fiona’s grip on the worn tee shirt tightened, and she nodded. “I am happy.”  
  
***  
  
Dorothy was studying James from where she sat silently. He was looking down, his focus on his thumb which he was rubbing slowly across the back of her hand. Their fingers were intertwined on the tabletop as they sat together, neither one speaking. She noticed his fringe was slightly too long and fell into his dark eyes. He wasn't smiling, but he wasn't frowning either. He merely looked content. She wondered if she looked the same as he did. Content certainly wasn't a bad thing.  
  
She could do content.  
  
Dorothy looked at him more closely, deciding whether or not to pop their silent bubble of "content" by speaking up. They'd been sitting in the Three Broomsticks for a while now, just waiting for their food in the quiet. Couples talked on dates, didn't they? She and James definitely weren't the chattiest couple, but they could at least tell each other about their days, right? That would lead into something else.  
  
Just as Dorothy opened her mouth to speak, the door to the pub flew open loudly, causing both Dorothy and James to jump. A girl bundled in a pea coat, hat, and scarf scurried inside clumsily, hastily searching for something.  
  
"Oh, Merlin, _yes_ , you're still here!" she cried in relief. The girl grabbed a chair and pulled up to Dorothy and James's table and plopped down. She yanked off her hat to reveal a head of thick red hair.   
  
"Hope?" Dorothy said, obviously surprised.   
  
"Hi!" Hope said brightly. "Sorry for crashing your date, I know it means a lot to you but I—" Her eyes flashed to the window behind them and she squeaked slightly, ducking down low and behind James's shoulder. "I wouldn't if it wasn't _necessary_."  
  
"Jacobs, what the—”  
  
"Date not going well?" Dorothy asked, trying to peer out the window to see what Hope was hiding from.  
  
Hope smacked Dorothy's arm and said, "Not in the least. Don't be so obvious!"  
  
James blinked, staring at the red head clutching his arm. "Date?" he asked.   
  
"With the new clerk from Quality Quidditch Supplies," Dorothy informed him. "Honestly, Hope, you'll never be able to go in there again."  
  
"I am unconcerned at this moment in time, Dora."  
  
Dorothy sniggered. "Want me to get rid of him?" James asked, his voice low and serious. Hope looked up to see James staring intently at her. His grip on Dorothy's hand had loosened, and all of his attention seemed to be on Hope.  
  
"I'm well practiced in the art of bad dates," Hope said a little too quickly. She realized she was clutching his bicep and sat up quickly. James frowned. "I'll be fine."  
  
"Oh, Hope, let him be macho for you," Dorothy teased. "If you're lucky, our food'll come while he's outside and you can steal some chips."  
  
"Oi," James said, sending Dorothy a saucy wink. Dorothy grabbed his hand and kissed it soundly.  
  
"It's really fine, he'll realize I'm gone soon enough," Hope said, shaking her head. "And anyway, Potter's reaction time is slow enough that I can eat all his chips before he would even lift his fork."  
  
"Oi!" James repeated, turning his look on Hope, who grinned. "I'm going to go get rid of the twit outside, eat my chips and face my wrath."  
  
"Your wrath does not scare me, Potter," Hope said. James went to stand, and Hope grabbed his hand to pull him back into his seat. "It's honestly fine, James—"  
  
"Let go, Jacobs, I don't care about your opinion." He stood and exited his booth, then swooped down and pressed a kiss on Dorothy's cheek. "Be right back."  
  
"I'm eating all of your chips, you chauvinistic imbecile!" Hope called after him.  
  
He turned and smiled at her. "It's called 'charming,' Jacobs."  
  
He left the pub, and Hope's face fell into her hands with a groan. "He's a handful," she muttered.   
  
Dorothy grinned, poking her friend in the side. "He's worth it."


	24. I Just Miss You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "How did we get to Honeydukes?"
> 
> "I believe you described it as 'unromantic' and 'sweaty.'"

“Match day!” Fiona sang loudly, yanking the end of Hope’s blanket. As the duvet was ripped from her body, Hope screeched with rage. “Time to get up, dung for brains!”  
  
“Take your perkiness and put it elsewhere, you crazy bint!” Hope snapped, curling desperately into her high pile of pillows.  
  
Dorothy was sitting up in her four poster, watching the scene play out before her. Fiona leapt onto Hope’s bed and began to jump up and down. “Get up, get up, get _up!_ ”  
  
“I will _murder you_ in your _sleep!_ ” Hope growled, kicking violently at Fiona.  
  
“You’d miss me,” Fiona retorted with a grin.  
  
Hope’s foot made contact with Fiona’s knee cap, and both girls cursed. “I’m unconcerned,” Hope grumbled.  
  
Dorothy rolled out from under her covers and pulled open her top drawer, removing one of the worn scarlet shirts. She shucked her night shirt over her head and pulled the Gryffindor Quidditch kit on, smiling at the familiar feel of the fabric. She shook out her sleep-mused plait and turned to her friends with a grin. “Well? How’s it look?” She struck a pose, modeling the back side of the shirt.  
  
Hope and Fiona stared blankly at her. “Well, uh—” Hope began.  
  
“That’s not Potter’s,” Fiona said quickly. She gestured to a folded scarlet shirt at the end of Dorothy’s bed. “You set it out last night, remember?”  
  
Dorothy’s playful grin slid right off of her pale features. “Right.” She cursed inwardly at the uncontrollable wave of tears pressing against her eyes as she practically ripped Fred’s shirt from her body and snatched James’s from the foot of her bed. She unfolded it and allowed her eyes to scan the gold lettering of his name before pulling it over her head. It wasn’t as comfortable as Fred’s had been, and she tossed Fred’s kit beneath her four poster with annoyance.  
  
Hope had climbed out of bed, too concerned about Dorothy’s fragile emotional state to ignore what had happened, and pulled the elastic off the end of the braid, messing with the loose blonde waves falling down Dorothy’s shoulders. “Perfect,” Hope said, hugging her friend from behind.  
  
Dorothy nodded, blinking the tears away. “Yes, it is.” She shot Hope a fake smile, and walked out of her embrace back to her dresser to pull out a pair of jeans.  
  
“We match, Longbottom,” Fiona said with a smirk, strutting across the room and hopping onto Dorothy’s unmade bed. Dorothy laughed as she pulled on her jeans, nodding in agreement.  
  
“Wait a hot second,” Hope said, sounding scandalized.  
  
Both Dorothy and Fiona looked at Hope with confusion. “Sup, Jacobs?” Fiona asked.  
  
“I don’t want to be the only one without a boy’s Quidditch kit!” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. “That’s not fair.”  
  
“You’re not dating a Gryffindor Quidditch player,” Fiona reminded her. “Aren’t you going to the game with that Ravenclaw seventh year?”  
  
“Your point?” Hope shot back, cocking an eyebrow.  
  
Dorothy looked from Hope to her dresser. “You want one of…?”  
  
“Fred’s?” Hope finished. “No. I am perfectly capable of getting my own, thank you. To breakfast?”  
  
“You’re still in your pajamas,” Fiona said, gesturing to Hope’s current state of dress. She was wearing an oversized, green sweater that hung off one of her pale, freckled shoulders on top of black boxer shorts speckled with fluttering golden Snitches. Her feet were hidden inside stuffed Hippogriff slippers.  
  
“I can’t plan an outfit around a shirt I don’t have yet, Fi, _Merlin_.”  
  
***  
  
The three girls entered the Great Hall together, the prematch buzz electric throughout the grand room.  
  
“Oh, my,” Fiona said, sniffing the air loudly. “This day could not get any better. There’s pancakes.”  
  
“You are so easily pleased,” Hope said with a chuckle as she sat down at the Hufflepuff table.  
  
“What time is Lou getting here anyway?” Dorothy asked, grabbing the seat across from Hope.  
  
Fiona sat beside Dorothy and couldn’t hold back her smile as she responded, “He gets here right when the match starts; he had to make a hellish deal to get even that much. But he did it to see me.”  
  
Hope looked up from her plate with a look of utter repulsion on her face. “I’m trying to eat here, can you you be less gross?”  
  
Fiona stuck her tongue out at her best friend. “You know you’re happy for me.”  
  
Hope shrugged and shoved a forkful of pancake into her mouth. The three ate in a casual silence until the noise in the Great Hall increased, and Dorothy, Hope, and Fiona turned their attention to the entrance to see the Gryffindor team enter, all wearing some sort of Gryffindor pride, mostly old kits. Hope smirked, standing quickly.  
  
“Oh, no,” Fiona said, jumping up and crawling beneath the table to the side Hope was on to follow her friend. “I don’t like that smirk.”  
  
Dorothy followed Fiona’s lead and the two chased after Hope, who was striding purposefully towards the team. “Potter!” she called.  
  
James looked up at her. “What do you want, Jacobs?” he asked with an easy grin.  
  
“Not you, sweetie,” she replied. “Albus.”  
  
Albus’s tired head popped up in surprise. “Me?”  
  
“Yes, you,” Hope said, walking up to him. James’s gaze followed her, very confused. “Is that an old Quidditch kit of yours?”  
  
Albus looked down at his shirt, and then back at Hope. “Yes? Are those your pajamas?”  
  
“Yes,” she said with a smile. “Give me your shirt.”  
  
Albus blinked. “I’m sorry?”  
  
“What do you want with his shirt?” James asked, crossing his arms.  
  
Hope sighed and turned to James. “I want to _wear_ it.” She turned back to Albus. “Gimme.”  
  
Fiona snorted loudly as Albus stared blankly at Hope, unsure of how to respond. “Albus, you’re not going to win.”  
  
“But we’re in the middle of the Great Hall,” he said, looking around with a frown.  
  
Hope placed a hand on her hip and looked at him. “So?” She flipped her hair over her shoulder in a dark red wave.  
  
Albus shrugged, and pulled his shirt off, revealing a pale but well defined torso and handed the kit to Hope, who beamed. “You’re my favorite Potter,” she said, planting a kiss on his cheek. “Also,” she said, placing her hand on his abdominals. “Not to shabby, Al.”  
  
He smirked and flexed for her. Hope’s eyes widened. “Oh, that’s fun.”  
  
“Oi, I thought I was your favorite Potter,” James said, glaring at his younger brother.  
  
Hope turned to James with a laugh. “I’m not Dora, James. Good try.” She tossed the shirt over her shoulder. “Come on, girls.”  
  
The Gryffindor team pulled their attention away from Hope to see Dorothy and Fiona standing only a few feet behind her. “Hey, babe,” James said, quickly walking over to Dorothy and kissing her. “Didn’t even see you.”  
  
Dorothy shrugged. “What do you think?” she said, gesturing to her shirt.  
  
James grinned. “It looks great.”  
  
“Hey, Little,” Freddie’s low and flat voice snapped, breaking the silence. “Who’s kit are _you_ wearing?”  
  
Fiona’s cheeks reddened. “Like you don’t know, Weasley,” she shot back. He smirked at her. Dorothy watched their exchange with hot jealousy.  
  
“Really though,” Eóin asked. “ _You_ certainly aren’t shacked up with one of us.”  
  
Fiona shot a glare at the newest addition to the Gryffindor Quidditch team. “Certainly not, you sorry excuse for a Beater.” She walked past him, as she ran a hand through her dark brown hair, and pulled it to the side. She linked arms with Hope. “Coming, Longbottom?”  
  
“Course,” Dorothy said, pecking James’s cheek as she scurried after her friends. She forced herself not to look at Freddie, and linked arms with Fiona. The three of them strode out of the Great Hall.  
  
Just as they turned into the corridor, Eóin exclaimed, “Was that _Louis Weasley’s_ kit?”  
  
***  
  
“Hello, Hogwarts!” David Humble’s voice echoed through the stadium over top of blaring music and the dull roar of the crowd. “Welcome back to the place where _heroes_ are born and villans fall, where _good_ always triumphs over evil, where _Lord Voldemort himself_ perished—”  
  
“That’s enough, Drummand!” McGongall scolded.  
  
“—The Quidditch Pitch!” he finished quickly. “It’s a brisk but beautiful day for Quidditch, folks, so let’s get this match started, yeah? Introducing, Ravenclaw,” the cheering of the crowd grew slightly louder, “and Gryffindor!” The sound in the stadium was deafening. Scarlet and blue clad players zoomed out onto the pitch, flying laps around the arena and soaring past the screaming fans in a blur. “Playing for Ravenclaw,” David’s voice cut back in, “we have Grant, Corner, Davies, McLaggen, Chambers, Burrow, and Page! This is Grant’s debut match after previous Captain, Brady, was removed from the team after—”  
  
“Humble,” McGonagall warned.  
  
“Well, we all know what happened! Also introducing Page as the new Ravenclaw Captain, let’s not muck it up, yeah? I’ve got a couple Galleons on this match, Brad.”  
  
There was a muffled yelp of pain over the microphone, and then David continued, “And on Gryffindor, we have L. Potter, R. Weasley, R. Weasley, F. Weasley, Finnegan, A. Potter, and J. Potter!”  
  
Dorothy stood on the bench between Hope and Fiona, all three screaming loudly for Gryffindor. Madam Drummand walked to the center of the pitch where a large trunk was waiting. She stopped and called James and Bradley to the ground while the other players took their positions in the air. “Captains, shake hands.” Her voice boomed through the pitch. James smirked at Bradley, who held his gaze unwaveringly. They shook for a moment, then dropped hands. “Back in the sky with the both of you,” Drummand instructed, and the boys took off.  
  
“The Snitch has been released,” David announced. A whistle was blown. The Quaffle was launched into the air. “And the match has begun! Going to be an interesting match, with both teams definitely having a chip on their—bloody hell, Gryffindor has already scored! Sorry, Headmistress, but that was L. Potter with that toss, less than ten seconds into the match. That’s got to be a record of some—and again! 20-0, Gryffindor, thanks to R. Weasley on that one! My, she’s looking particularly beautiful today, isn’t she?”  
  
“Oh, my Merlin,” Hope said. “They’re about to—”  
  
David Humble’s voice cut her off as he exclaimed, “And Captain, J. Potter, brings the score to 30-0 with that one. Ravenclaw is in for a rough match today, folks, I can hardly keep track of the Quaffle myself! Ah, there it is, Ravenclaw in possession as Grant makes her way down the pitch…”  
  
“Three goals already?” Fiona cried, obviously shocked.  
  
“That’s never happened in the history of Hogwarts Quidditch,” Dorothy informed her. “This is insane!”  
  
“Oh, Hope, there you are!” A boy was coming towards them, waving at Hope, who looked less than enthused. “I thought I’d never find you!” He squeezed past Fiona and Dorothy to stand on Hope’s other side.  
  
“Hope?” Fiona asked. “Who’s this?”  
  
“This—”  
  
“Johnny Marx,” the boy interrupted with a cocky grin. “I’m Hope’s date.”  
  
“Still can't believe you brought a date to a Quidditch match,” Fiona said, chuckling.  
  
“Didn’t you?” Hope retorted. “Where is he, anyway?”  
  
Fiona shrugged. “Must be running late. He’ll be here.”  
  
“Are you wearing another bloke’s shirt on our date?” Johnny asked Hope, sounding affronted.  
  
“It’s Al Potter’s,” Hope brushed off. “No big deal.”  
  
“Have you heard from Lou?” Dorothy asked curiously.  
  
Fiona just shrugged again, biting her lip. “He’ll be here.”  
  
Dorothy nodded unsurely, but turned back to the match just as James sent the Quaffle straight through the right goal hoop. “And that’s 60-0, Gryffindor,” Humble announced dejectedly.  
  
“When did the score get that high?” Hope demanded, looking at Dorothy, who shrugged with wide eyes. “It’s barely been five minutes since the start of the game!”  
  
“And L. Potter makes it 70-0, Gryffindor, honestly, this is ridiculous. Is there some sort of Mercy Rule, Headmistress?”  
  
“How are they doing this?” Hope asked Dorothy.  
  
Dorothy scanned the pitch, quickly studying each player. After a minute, she responded, “They’re pushing the angles to the limit, so it looks like there’s not a chance anything good’ll come from it. But they hit the mark every time, their technique is practically flawless.”  
  
“Guess those five hour practices six days a week are paying off,” Fiona said bitterly as Rose easily blocked a shot from Daniel Corner. Rose threw it to Roxanne, who easily put it through the hoop.  
  
“Well, well, well,” sneered someone behind them. Fiona cursed loudly under her breath. “Seems like Louis Weasley is nowhere to be found.” Hettie walked down the steps to stand next to Fiona, a triumphant smirk pasted across her face. “Your little boyfriend stand you up?”  
  
“No,” Fiona shot back angrily. “He’s coming.”  
  
Hettie laughed. Gryffindor scored again. “No, he’s not. Just admit it, Little, you made the whole thing up. Louis Weasley would never—”  
  
“Fi!” a voice called. Hettie’s jaw dropped as she and Fiona both turned to see Louis running up the stairs towards her. Fiona pushed past Hettie and ran down to meet him, jumping into his arms. “I’m sorry I’m late—”  
  
Fiona silenced him with a kiss. “I’m just glad you’re here.” She hugged him tightly, burrowing her face in the crook of his neck. “Merlin, I missed you.”  
  
Louis chuckled and squeezed her tightly. “I missed you, too.”  
  
“This is ridiculous!” Hettie shrieked. “This is _impossible!_ ”  
  
Louis looked up and frowned. “Who is that?”  
  
Fiona broke apart from Louis and rolled her eyes. “Langley,” she said, grabbing Louis’s hand and leading him up to their seats.  
  
“As in Tabitha’s best friend?” Louis asked.  
  
“The one and only,” Fiona responded with a roll of her eyes. “Langley, move.”  
  
“No!” Hettie snapped, crossing her arms over her chest. “I don’t believe it! That can’t be Louis Weasley, it must be…be _Polyjuice Potion_ , or something!”  
  
Louis shared a look with Fiona, and then turned back to Hettie. “This is pathetic. You know that, right?”  
  
As Hettie began to stumble over a rebuttal, Tabitha appeared behind her. “Hettie, leave them alone. Fiona and Louis are together, and that’s fine.” Tabitha and Fiona made eye contact as Tabitha continued, “It’s not a big deal.”  
  
Hettie let out a strangled yell and stormed away. Tabitha broke the contact with Fiona, and chased after her.  
  
“That was—” Louis began.  
  
“Interesting,” Fiona finished. She looked up into Louis’s eyes and sighed. “I swear to Merlin, if you’re ever late again, I will maim you.”  
  
Louis grinned and pressed his lips to hers. “I love it when you threaten my livelihood.”  
  
Fiona smiled. “Good.”  
  
“Oh, hey, Lou!” Dorothy said with a smile.  
  
“Hey, Thee,” he responded with a grin as he and Fiona took their spots in the row.  
  
“ _You!_ ” Hope cried upon seeing Louis. She quickly made her way over to him.  
  
“Hope?” Fiona asked curiously.  
  
“Shush,” she directed at Fiona. “You, Louis Weasley, will receive this chat once, and only once, so pay attention. Your boo thang? My _best friend_. If she cries, you die. Is that understood?”  
  
Louis looked down at the short red head, donned in his younger cousin’s old kit, a black ruffle skirt, and black lace tights. She looked anything but intimidating. He chuckled but nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”  
  
“Don’t laugh, I’m terrifying.”  
  
“I’m dating Fiona. Nothing scares me.”  
  
Hope looked around Louis to glare at Fiona. “Damn you.” As she began to make her way back to her spot, she added, “Oh, and if you two ever pull that ‘let’s keep this giant, life changing secret from Hope’ game again, I’ll dip you in vats of acid.”  
  
Louis and Fiona shared a look of guilt mixed with concern. He could now see how she could describe herself as terrifying. “Got it.”  
  
Hope beamed. “Good!” She bounced back over to her spot on the row as Gryffindor scored yet again.  
  
“Gryffindor’s broken 100 points?” Louis asked, looking surprised. “I thought the match started at noon.”  
  
“It did,” Fiona said, squeezing his hand fondly.  
  
Louis checked the battered watch on his wrist. “It’s ten after.”  
  
“Exactly,” Dorothy responded. “This is bad, Hope. Worse than I thought.”  
  
“It’s bloody impressive if you ask me,” Louis said with a whoop of triumph.  
  
Fiona smacked her boyfriend solidly in the chest. “Oi,” she warned.  
  
He wrapped his arm around her waist and squeezed her into his body. “Don’t be jealous, love.”  
  
“You’re a troll and I hate you.” Louis bent his head and kissed her neck, and Fiona shuddered involuntarily. “That’s cheating,” she said.  
  
Hope rolled her eyes. “Pathetic.”  
  
Louis chuckled into Fiona’s neck, which reddened with embarrassment. “Shut up, Jacobs.”  
  
“Are you even going to talk to me?” Johnny asked, his voice agitated.  
  
Hope turned to him in surprise. “Uh, yes?”  
  
“You’ve ignored me since I got here,” he continued, anger dancing in his eyes. “I mean, when I thought of a date with Hope Jacobs, I expected about two seconds at the match and then we’d head out for one of our dormitories or something.”  
  
Hope blinked. “You expected me to skip the match…and _shag_ you.”  
  
Johnny stared back at her. “Yeah, pretty much, love. You’re Hope Jacobs. You’ve been out with over half of the sixth and seventh years, plus some. What do you think I, or any bloke for that matter, expects when going out with you?”  
  
“That you get to fucking _go out_ with me, not fuck me!” she snapped. “I’m not going to shag you, you prick! As if I would miss the match to have sex with a stranger…” Hope scoffed out loud. “You’re mental, chap.”  
  
“Bloody fucking tease,” Johnny snapped, storming out of the row and down the stairs in a huff.  
  
Hope stared after him, her mouth slightly agape. “What?” she asked no one in particular.  
  
“Want me to kill him?” Fiona asked. “I can kill him. I can pencil that in.”  
  
“No, it’s fine,” Hope said. “Am I really a tease?” She directed this at Louis, who shook his head.  
  
“I’ve never thought so,” he responded. “Marx is an arse. No bloke should go into a date expecting to get something out of it.”  
  
“So you’re saying you never expect to get anything when you come to see me?” Fiona said, her eyebrow cocked teasingly.  
  
Louis smirked at her. “Well, you’re different love. Considering you can’t keep your grubby hands off my arse.”  
  
Fiona slid her hand down his back and deposited her hand into the back pocket of Louis’s denims. “I appreciate my man.”  
  
Dorothy looked at Hope and said, “He’s not worth getting upset over.”  
  
“I’m not upset over _him,_ I’m upset that bloke’s only go out with me because they think I’m easy!” Hope exclaimed. “I’ll show him who’s easy.”  
  
“Oh, Merlin,” Fiona said. “That doesn’t sound promising.”  
  
Hope shot her a confident smirk. “It’s very promising.”  
  
“And, on top of everything else Gryffindor has done right during this match, A. Potter has caught the Snitch. Gryffindor wins, 300-0.” David sighed loudly into the microphone. “Zero. Like my Gringotts vault.”  
  
***  
  
“Shouldn’t you be congratulating your stupidly talented cousins or something?” Fiona asked, running behind Louis as he lead her through a maze of corridors in Hogwarts.  
  
“You’re more important,” he responded, squeezing the hand he was holding.  
  
She smirked. “Very true.”  
  
Louis came to a stop in the middle of a random corridor, and Fiona ran into him, completely unaware he was about to stop. Louis wrapped an arm around her back quickly to help stabilize her, and, with a smirk, placed a quick peck on her lips. He released her with a smile.  
  
“Why’d you stop? There’s nothing here,” Fiona said, looking around. “This corridor doesn’t even have any tapestries to hide behind, what’s so spe—”  
  
“Shush,” Louis said, placing a finger on her lips. “You ask way too many questions.”  
  
Fiona blinked once. “Did you just _shush_ me?”  
  
Louis grinned sheepishly at her, and she glared dangerously at him. “I love you?”  
  
“You’re a troll.”  
  
“You’re going to love this,” Louis said, walking towards one of the many statues lining the stone walls.  
  
“Is it a sandwich? Because I’d love one of those.”  
  
“No, it’s not a sandwich. Damnit, Fi, I’m trying to be romantic here.”  
  
Fiona chuckled. “Sorry, I’ll be better.” She walked up to Louis, and batted her eyelashes. “Oh, sexy boyfriend of mine, what _ever_ do you have for me?”  
  
Louis’s eyes darkened with lust as he mumbled, “I have a hell of a lot for you, sweetie.”  
  
Fiona smirked, still playing the role of an adoring girlfriend. “Oh, do you?” She fluttered her eyelashes a bit more and leaned towards him, intentionally allowing her chest to rub against his arm. “I’d love to take anything you want to give me.” Her hand daintily landed on his shoulder, and she slid it down his arm to grab his thick bicep.  
  
Her back hit the stone wall so fast she let out a laugh of surprise. Louis’s mouth was on then hers and teasing her lips apart as his large hands ran all over her body: groping her breasts, sliding over her back, cupping her bum. Fiona’s hands got lost in his shaggy blonde hair as she clung to him, trying to keep up with his demands.  
  
Louis’s body pressed Fiona more firmly into the stone as his mouth began to make its way down to her jawline and up to her ear. “Just imagine how often this could’ve happened if we hadn’t been such shits,” he told her, taking a nip of her earlobe. Fiona shuddered and gripped him tighter.  
  
But then the weight of his body was gone, and Fiona was left leaning against the wall, panting. Her eyes snapped open and found him infront of a statue again. “Oi!” she snapped. Louis looked over at her, confusion present on his face. She gestured wildly to herself. “Come back!” Louis smirked and shook his head. Fiona huffed angrily. “Louis Weasley, I _demand—_ ”  
  
“Fi, there’ll be plenty of time for that later,” he interrupted, blowing her off. “ _Dissendium_ ,” he told the statue. Fiona watched as the hump on the statue opened, revealing a path. Louis turned to her with a grin. “Coming?” He extended his hand.  
  
She nodded and took it, following him excitedly into the passage.  
  
***  
  
The Hufflepuff Quidditch team, minus Fiona, who had threatened Hope within an inch of her life if she’d forced Fiona to miss out on time with Louis, sat solemnly around a table in the kitchens in complete silence. They’d been like this for almost three whole minutes, just staring off into space.  
  
“Alright,” Hope finally said. The other five wizards in the kitchen turned to the head of the table, where Hope stood. “I think we all know why I’ve called this impromptu team campfire.”  
  
“Because Gryffindor slayed?” Kyle suggested. Marcus smacked Kyle upside the head. “Oi, we’re all thinking it!”  
  
“Seriously, Cap, what the bloody hell happened out there?” Jesse asked, sounding defeated.  
  
“Even the pros aren’t that good!” Greg moaned.  
  
The four boys began talking rapidly to each other about how amazing Gryffindor had played and how it must’ve been black magic or some other sort of sketchy training that resulted in the utter destruction of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team.  
  
Hope looked at Dorothy, who rolled her eyes. Hope chuckled. “Oi, simmer, meat heads,” Hope said, calling everyone’s attention back onto herself. “Gryffindor is amazing, yes. But they’re not unstoppable.”  
  
“Lily Potter scored in the first minute of the game,” Jesse reminded Hope. “And Ravenclaw’s Keeper _hasn’t_ been off his broom for almost three months. No offense, Thee.”  
  
Dorothy shrugged. “None taken.”  
  
“While that is true, Gryffindor has been training their arses off to go against regular Hogwarts teams.” Hope looked at her players and continued, “We are no regular Hogwarts team.”  
  
“Are you back on the idea of Extreme Quidditch, or whatever that was?” Marcus asked.  
  
“Just…just look at this.” Hope reached in her satchel and pulled out a piece of parchment with a play scribbled on it. Across the top was the title “Stop, Drop, and Roll.”On the page was the detailed play of how a Chaser under heavy defense could escape the coverage. The player with the Quaffle would act as if performing a Sloth Grip Roll, but let go of their broom. Beneath them would be another player, perched on their own broom like an equestrian prepared to jump. Once the Chaser fell far enough, the other player would leap and catch the Chaser’s old broom that was losing altitude without a rider, allowing the Chaser to land on the vacated broom and zoom off past the defense.  
  
“With this, the Chasers never have to break formation on the pitch,” Hope said. “Any of us can make the swap. It’s too sharp of an angle for the defenders to follow the ball, and the Quaffle is free to make it down the pitch.”  
  
She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a stack of parchment. “I’m working on a bunch more, it’s really just figuring out the logistics. There’s the Long Shot Punch, Bludger Jumps…” Hope looked up from the pages she was spreading across the table. “These plays aren’t out of our capability. Yeah, it’ll take some work, but we can do this.”  
  
“This,” Marcus said, studying Stop, Drop, and Roll with Greg and Jesse. “This is amazing, Cap.”  
  
Hope’s face broke out in a relieved smile. “This is only the beginning, guys.”  
  
Jesse looked up at her and grinned. “You know, I still think you’re crazy. But I’m on board for this.”  
  
Hope stuck her hand in the center of the table. “Hands in, Hufflepuff on three.” The team stood and put their hands in the center of the table, grinning widely at each other. The excitement was palpable in the air. “One, two, three.”  
  
“HUFFLEPUFF!” they all shouted.  
  
“DOWN WITH GRYFFINDOR!” Kyle roared.  
  
The team laughed, then repeated, “DOWN WITH GRYFFINDOR!”  
  
***  
  
“Lou, we’ve been walking for forever,” Fiona whined. “Where the bloody hell are we?”  
  
“You’ll see!” he repeated for what felt like the thousandth time. “Honestly, woman, you are the worst at surprises and romance.”  
  
“We’re walking in a dank tunnel, Lou. What about this is romantic?”  
  
Louis looked over at her and gave her a lusty smile. “The fact we’re here together.”  
  
Fiona couldn’t help but giggle and shoved his shoulder. “You’re such a bloody sap.”  
  
He chuckled, but didn’t respond. He merely looked over at her, taking in her features that were subtley illuminated in the dark and musty passage. Fiona looked over at him, a small smile pulling at her lips. “What’re you looking at?”  
  
Louis couldn’t help but blush. He cursed the Weasley genes in him. “You,” he answered honestly.  
  
Fiona bit her lip and diverted her eyes quickly. She felt butterflies erupt in her stomach, and she snuck a quick peek over at him. His hand was swinging close to her, and she reached out and grabbed it. Louis couldn’t help but grin.  
  
They walked in comfortable silence, hands intertwined until they came upon a worn stone staircase with no visible end. Fiona looked over at Louis. “If your idea of romance is a long and sketchy underground walk that ends with a staircase of death, you may need to rethink.”  
  
Louis grinned sheepishly. “This is the worst part,” he said, beginning to drag her up the stairs. “Let’s go.”  
  
“Merlin, I remember why I hated you,” she groaned.  
  
“You never hated me, don’t lie.”  
  
“I’m sweating in my favorite jumper.”  
  
“I never told you to wear your favorite jumper.”  
  
“Maybe I _like_ my favorite jumper.”  
  
“I certainly do, it makes your tits look fantastic.”  
  
“Bloody hell, Louis! Romance is not your strong suit!”  
  
“See, you don’t even deny it. It’s your favorite jumper for a reason, Fi.”  
  
“That is…beside the point.”  
  
Louis chuckled. “The jumper makes you look good, which makes you confident, which makes you even more beautiful and sexy…”  
  
Fiona turned her gaze on him with an amused look on her face. “Maybe this is _your_ favorite jumper.”  
  
Louis smirked. “Maybe it is.” There was a loud thunk, and Louis cursed loudly, holding his head. “Bloody door,” he murmured.  
  
“Are you alright?” Fiona asked, trying not to giggle.  
  
“Yeah, I do it every time,” he said, pressing his hands against the ceiling and pushing upwards. Light flooded the passage, and Fiona squinted into it as she followed Louis into the dusty room the passage had led to.  
  
“Is this some Muggle horror movie or something? Are we going to die?”  
  
Louis gave her a funny look. “What the…never mind. Just follow me, love.”  
  
He started off through the room, towards another set of stairs. “Great, more stairs,” Fiona groaned, running her hand over top of a box stacked against the wall.  
  
She followed him up the stairs and entered Honeydukes main shop. She froze. “Are we…” She turned to him, confusion evident. She took a moment to gather her thoughts. “Are we in _Honeydukes?_ ”  
  
Louis grinned. “Yeah.”  
  
“How…” Fiona was at a loss for words. “How did we get to Honeydukes?”  
  
Louis took her hand and pulled her through the shop, waving at the shop keeper. “I believe you described it as ‘unromantic’ and ‘sweaty.’”  
  
They left the shop and hit the chilly air of Hogsmeade. Fiona had never seen it so empty, having only visited on Hogwarts sponsored weekends. “You know a secret passage to Hogsmeade?” she demanded. “How long has that been there?”  
  
“No bloody clue,” he said, with a smile. “It’s a family secret.” He paused, then added, “Well, it started out with Uncle Harry’s dad, but then Uncle George and his twin, Fred, discovered it, and now all of us know about them.”  
  
Fiona’s eyes widened. “ _Them?_ ”  
  
Louis grinned, pecking her cheek. “You’ll find out eventually.” Fiona opened her mouth to refute, but Louis continued, “But now that you know how to get to Hogsmeade, being apart won’t be so hard.”  
  
Fiona stared at him. “What do you mean?”  
  
“Well,” Louis said, his hand rising to the back of his neck. “If I were to be...in the neighborhood on a weekend that wasn’t a Hogsmeade weekend…”  
  
“You showed me the passage so we can meet up more than once a month through the rest of term?” Fiona asked.  
  
“Uh, yeah. I did.”  
  
Fiona grinned, throwing herself into his arms. “You _prat_ , why didn’t you show it to me sooner?”  
  
Louis laughed, wrapping his arms tightly around her. “Let’s go get dinner, love.”  
  
“I now love you more than I ever have,” Fiona extolled, her stomach letting out a low grumble in affirmation.  
  
“And you said I wasn’t romantic.”  
  
***  
  
Fiona entered the dormitory hours later with a large grin on her face. She was humming softly to herself as she flounced to her four poster, then jumped upon it. As she hit the mattress, she giggled.  
  
“Okay. Who the hell are you and what have you done to Fiona Little?” Hope said irritably.  
  
Fiona sat up in bed and pulled her legs up to her chest. “I’m so happy.”  
  
“I can see that, and it’s frightening.”  
  
“Oh, Hope!” Fiona exclaimed, jumping off of her bed and hurrying towards her best friend. “Everything is good today!”  
  
Hope shrieked and ran behind Dorothy before Fiona could embrace her. “Dora, do something!”  
  
“Oh, Hope,” Dorothy said with a laugh. “It’s nice that Fiona is so happy!”  
  
“See?” Fiona said with a smirk. “Someone cares about my happiness. Longbottom, dance with me.”  
  
“Whaa—?” Dorothy asked as Fiona grabbed her hands and began leading her around the dormitory in circles, humming Christmas songs as loudly as she could. Dorothy stumbled along with her, laughing.  
  
“You both are lovesick fools, and it physically sickens me to live with you,” Hope snapped. “And it’s not even Christmas anymore!”  
  
“It’s _always_ Christmas!” Fiona replied, laughing as Dorothy spun her wildly.  
  
“Lighten up, Hope!” Dorothy said, grabbing Hope’s hand and dragging her into the center of the room with them.  
  
Hope rolled her eyes, but started to dance with her friends anyway. “You both are weirdos,” she said, jumping up and down.  
  
“It’s called being happy!” Fiona cried, throwing her head back to the ceiling. “And we’re gonna party with the Gryffindors, and I’m gonna snog Louis, and it’s gonna be _amazing!_ ”  
  
The three of them stopped jumping and looked at each other, breathing heavily. They burst into giggles. “Party time?” Hope asked.  
  
“Party time!” Fiona responded.  
  
Dorothy pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. “I—”  
  
“We discussed this, Dora, you’re dating James, you’re going to the party. To hell with Fred.”  
  
“Okay.”  
  
***  
  
“This castle is freezing.”  
  
“Well, it’s January and you’re not wearing clothes, what’d you expect?”  
  
Hope shot Fiona a glare. “I dunno, a warming charm?”  
  
“Don’t you usually cast those on yourself?” Dorothy asked, pulling at the ends of her scarlet jumper.  
  
“Yeah, but once I’m drunk I’d be too hot, and Drunk Hope doesn’t need any more reasons to want to take off her clothes.”  
  
Fiona snorted. “She definitely doesn’t. Remind me why you’re dressed like a Renaissance harlot again?”  
  
Hope was wearing a deep red, lacey crop top paired with a high waisted, black lace skirt, sheer black tights, and high heels. She was basically one whip away from having men on their knees before her saying, “Yes, master.”  
  
“Johnny Marx thinks I’m a tease, he’s going to get a tease,” Hope growled. “And anyway, at least I’m wearing Gryffindor colors.”  
  
Fiona looked down at her yellow button up and smirked. “House pride, bitches. And anyway, they’ve got some yellow, right?”  
  
“Gold,” Dorothy corrected, rubbing her hands on her denims. “Close enough.”  
  
Fiona stuck her tongue out at Hope in victory. Hope flipped her off. “Merlin, Gryffindor Tower is far,” Hope complained.  
  
“Only one more flight of stairs,” Dorothy said.  
  
“I hate stairs,” Fiona grumbled, reaching down and sticking her finger inside the top of her combat boot to scratch an itch. “Have I mentioned that?”  
  
“So much that I’m going to put it on your grave,” Hope said, rolling her eyes. “ _Here lies Fiona, the girl who hates stairs._ ”  
  
Fiona grinned. “Has a nice ring to it.”  
  
Hope couldn’t help but laugh at her friend. “You’re the worst.”  
  
The three girls made their way down the seventh floor corridor and stopped in front of the Fat Lady’s portrait. “Good evening,” Dorothy said with a smile.  
  
“A true Hufflepuff, polite to a painting,” Hope teased. Dorothy blushed and stuck her tongue out at Hope.  
  
“Hello, Miss Longbottom,” the portrait replied tiredly. “I assume these rambunctious Gryffindors have _once again_ given you my password.”  
  
Dorothy blushed harder and nodded. “Scallywags.”  
  
With a heavy sigh, the portrait opened. Loud music erupted from the common room, and the girls climbed inside. Banners and streamers hung haphazardly from the ceiling, and scarlet and gold confetti was raining down it. There were students everywhere, all shouting, dancing, drinking, or snogging. Lucy Weasley was standing behind the bar in the far corner, laughing at some drunkard who was flirting heavily with her.  
  
“Fi!” Louis called, as he made his way over to the girls. “Bloody hell, you’re gorgeous,” he slurred as he reached them, grabbing her face and planting his lips heavily on hers. Her hands gripped at his biceps weakly. Louis released her with a loud smack, looking thoroughly pleased. Fiona’s eyes were slightly glassy.  
  
“You kiss surprisingly well when you’re drunk.”  
  
“Wanna see if you do too?” Louis asked suggestively.  
  
Fiona laughed. “Oh, honey, I _know_ I do.”  
  
Louis reached forward and grabbed her hand, dragging her back to the bar as she waved over her shoulder to Dorothy and Hope. Hope looked to Dorothy. “Drink?” she asked.  
  
Dorothy nodded. “Sounds good to me.”  
  
***  
  
The whole common room was raging. Music blared through the party as students jumped, danced, shouted and sang along: _“Handing out the horcruxes of my broken heart, in a cardboard box that keeps tearing me apart. Stab them with a sword or set them aflame so you’ll never live forever and I’ll forget you just the same!”_  
  
James was making his way back to the crowd from bar where his cousin Lucy was laughing at some drunkard leaning towards her as she poured him another shot with two Butterbeers in his hands. His eyes scanned the crowd for Dorothy, looking for where he’d left her with Lily and Hugo. His eyes, however, landed on his younger brother who looked to be getting a lap dance from some red headed vixen. James was torn between disgust and respect. The girl was definitely hot, way out of Albus’s league.  
  
He watched as the girl stood  and hopped up onto the coffee table, standing precariously in ridiculously high heeled shoes, and shot his disappointed brother a smirk and a wink over her shoulder. She threw her head back in a loud laugh, and the bottles slipped out of James’s hands, shattering on the floor.  
  
The girl was Hope Jacobs.  
  
James began to push his way through the crowd of sixth year boys around her, trying to get closer. “James!” she called, waving to him.  
  
“What the hell are you doing, Jacobs?” he demanded as he reached her.  
  
“Having fun,” she said with a smile. She bent over at the waist to place her face merely centimeters from his. He forced his gaze to remain on her face. “You should lighten up,” she said, bopping his nose with her finger.  
  
“You’re sloshed,” he said firmly.  
  
“I’m fine,” she said as she stood up too quickly and nearly toppled off the table.  
  
“You’re not,” James said, grabbing her hand. She ripped her hand out of his and stuck her tongue out at him. “Come on, I’m taking you home.”  
  
“No!” Hope tried to protest, but James swept his arm behind her knees and hoisted her into his grasp.  
  
“James, I can take her,” Albus said, standing from the arm chair Hope had been grinding him into merely moments before.  
  
“Absolutely not,” James said, glaring daggers at his brother. Albus’s eyes widened and he took a step back. “Just tell Dorothy I’ve taken Hope home, yeah?”  
  
Albus nodded, allowing James to pass him with Hope struggling to make her way out of her captivity. James strode purposefully to the common room door and made it out to the corridor with ease.  
  
“Put me _down!_ ” Hope demanded.  
  
James shot her a look of annoyance. “Fine,” he said, setting her back on her feet.  
  
“About bloody time,” she muttered. “Big-headed toe-rag.” Hope went to take another step and immediately stumbled in her high heeled shoes.  
  
"Not so fast, Jacobs," James said, quickly catching her against him. He wrapped his arm around her, hugging her small body close to his own as he helped her down the corridor.  
  
"Quidditch parties are so fun," Hope declared, looking up at James through her ginger fringe. She smiled at him, forgetting he had just forcably removed her from one. He nodded, grunting in affirmation of her sentiments. He was preoccupied with trying to direct Hope's stumbling feet in a straight line, so much so that he nearly tripped when the words, "Did I look like a tease tonight, James?" came out of her pretty little mouth.  
  
"What?" he asked, feeling that this was most definitely a trick question.  
  
"I was trying to," she continued, ignoring his obvious discomfort. "Look like a tease, that is. You hear that, Johnny Marx?" Hope shouted, her voice echoing off the stone wall. "I'm a bloody tease, just like you wanted!"  
  
"Hope!" James hissed, covering her mouth with his hand. She looked up at him innocently, waiting for him to continue. He forced himself to stop thinking about how soft her lips were against his palm. "It's past curfew, no shouting, okay?"  
  
She blinked her big, bright brown eyes once and nodded her head in understanding. James removed his hand from her face and she giggled softly. He couldn't restrain the smile that spread across his face at the sound. "I forgot it was late. I feel so _alive!_ Do you feel alive, James?"  
  
James swallowed thickly. The two stopped in front of a staircase before he could answer the question, so he quickly changed the subject. "I should probably carry you down the steps," he said.  
  
Hope nodded, allowing James to lift her off her feet and cradle her in his arms to make his way down the many floors to the Hufflepuff common room. She draped her arms around his neck and buried her face into his shoulder, breathing deeply. "Ah, fuck," she said, her voice muffled by his arm.  
  
"What's wrong, do you feel sick?" he asked, his voice full of concern.  
  
"You make me think of silky sheets and sex under the stars," she declared, allowing her head to fall backwards, revealing lots of creamy white neck.  
  
James nearly missed a step, almost sending both of them tumbling downwards. His heart was racing in his chest, the beat so loud he was scared she could hear it. "What?" he squeaked.  
  
Hope buried her face back in his arm and breathed deeply again, sighing contently. "Yup," she said, removing her face from his shirt. "Chocolate sauce and sex."  
  
James's mind was whirring. Hope was one of Dorothy's best friends, this conversation was beyond inappropriate. Before he could say anything, Hope continued by saying, "Ooh, chocolate. I want a brownie. Can we go to the kitchens before bed?" Her feet swung happily, and she was dangerously close to kicking the railing of the stairs.  
  
"No," James said, wanting to get as far from Hope Jacobs as possible before her drunken stupor made her say something she'd _really_ regret.  
  
Hope pouted, her bottom lip deep scarlet and plump. James cursed inwardly as she moaned, "Why not?"  
  
"You need to sleep," he told her, his voice shaky.  
  
Hope let out an over exaggerated yawn and then turned her gaze back on his face. One of her hands reached up to stroke his cheek, and he turned to look at her. "You're so beautiful."  
  
James blushed under the intensity of her gaze. He'd also never been called beautiful before, and he wasn't exactly sure how to take it.  
  
"Oh, Merlin, chocolate frogs are beautiful...are you sure we can't stop in the kitchens?" she slurred.  
  
James was not okay with how casually Hope was dropping her inappropriate comments, and shook his head. She groaned loudly again, and James whimpered.   
  
***  
  
Dorothy was standing with Hugo in the large crowd when Freddie was assisted to the top of the bar by the rest of the Gryffindor team. "Attention, loyal Gryffindor supporters!" Freddie announced, his voice strong and arrogant. The noise of the party lowered significantly as everyone turned their attention to Fred. "Now, as we all know, Gryffindor had a slightly rough start to the season. Losing to Slytherin was a low blow for all of us." The party goers all murmured in agreement. "But I think we all can see that there is a definite change in the air now!" The crowd rumbled with support. "In honor of the greatest comeback Gryffindor has ever seen, the members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team will be passing out to all in attendance the traditional celebratory shot. Once everyone has one, we'll all toast together! Thank you all so much for coming out and your unwavering support, we will not let you down!"  
  
Freddie hopped off the bar and followed his team mates around the party, never emptying trays of full shot glasses in their hands. Dorothy looked to Hugo and said, "Shouldn't James have given that speech?"  
  
Hugo shrugged. "I dunno, probably. I haven't seen James around in a while though."  
  
Dorothy frowned, realizing she hadn't seen him in a while either. Last time she'd seen him, he'd been getting them each a refill and Lily had been dragging her into the center of the dance floor.  
  
"Hugo, my man," Freddie said, lowering his tray of shots. "Take a glass, young cousin. We drink for  victory."  
  
Hugo rolled his eyes. "You're way too into this tradition, Fred," he said, taking a shot off the tray.  
  
Dorothy reached to grab one as well, but Freddie quickly raised his tray back into the air. He covered the action by winking at his cousin. "Any excuse to drink more, Hugo."  
  
As Freddie went to walk away, Hugo said, "Wait, Thee needs one."  
  
Freddie looked over at Thee and shrugged. "She'll get one."  
  
Dorothy let out a harsh laugh. "Wow, _really?_ "  
  
Freddie raised an eyebrow, daring her to actually make a scene. She couldn't contain herself. "I get that you're angry with me, and I get that you don't care about me anymore, but for Merlin's sake, Fred, why are you being such a prick?!"  
  
A few people attending the party turned to see the unfolding drama as Dorothy continued, "Just because _you_ decided we couldn't be friends anymore doesn't give you any right to be rude to me! In fact, considering _you_ were the one who ended things, you really don't have any right to be _anything_ towards me! I was the one that was left, not you! You _chose_ this, I didn't! And I'm so sick of you walking around like you have any right to hate me for the way we are now when it was _your decision_. I didn't want any of this, and I'm done, Fred!"  
  
She stared at him, chest heaving. He approached her slowly, lowering his tray in front of her. "Want a drink, _Puff?_ "  
  
With a shout of frustration, Dorothy grabbed the edge of tray and threw it at Freddie, soaking him with alcohol and littering the floor with glasses, some of which shattered on contact. "Screw you!" She turned on her heel and stormed from the Gryffindor common room, wishing she could slam the Fat Lady behind her.  
  
***  
  
James placed Hope gently on her feet in front of the Hufflepuff common room entrance, allowing her to drunkenly tap the pattern on the barrel to open the door. She dropped to her knees and began to crawl, giving James the greatest shot of her bum possible. He breathed deeply and crawled behind her, swearing to Merlin if he survived this night, the first thing he would do would be burn Hope's outfit.  
  
He followed Hope into the Seventh Year Girls's dormitory, then immediately let out a less than manly shriek as she began to take her clothes off.  
  
"I'm cold," she complained.  
  
James had both hands covering his eyes, but he knew she was standing in front of him in nothing but her tights, panties, and bra. "Then put some clothes on!" he shouted. "Like, some pajamas?"  
  
Hope burst into a fit of giggles and fell into a heap on her four poster. James peeked at her, cursing as he hungrily scanned her scantily clothed body. "What?" he asked.  
  
"Pajamas is a funny word," she explained simply, flopping out of her giggles in exhaustion.  
  
"Hope, I'm begging you."  
  
"Ooh!" she exclaimed, and James watched her stand from the bed. "I know what I want." She approached James and grabbed the bottom of his jumper and yanked it upwards, trying to remove it from his body.  
  
"What are you doing?" he demanded, grabbing her hands to stop her stripping him.  
  
"I want your jumper," she explained. "It looks warm, and I'm freezing, James." Her red hair was cascading down her bare, freckled shoulders like flames, illuminating her pale face with a sort of glow that made it impossible for James to say no. He pulled his navy jumper off and handed it to her, which she quickly threw over her body, leaving him in the Oxford shirt he'd worn beneath it to the party. The shirt drowned Hope's petite frame and she hugged her arms to herself in his sweater, smiling contently. "Silky sheets and chocolate and sex under the stars," she muttered, climbing drunkenly into bed. Her long legs looked to be working as well as a new born giraffe's as she threw herself towards her mattress and tried to navigate through her duvets.  
  
Her words had James standing beside her bed, staring at her. He wanted an explanation, and he wanted it _now._ "Hope, I—"  
  
Soft snores interrupted his speech, and he blinked, unable to take his eyes off her. She was already asleep.  
  
***  
  
"What the bloody hell is wrong with you?" Rose asked she sidled up next to Freddie by the bar.  
  
Freddie looked over at his cousin, frowning. "What are you going on about?"  
  
"You and Thee, dumbarse," Rose said, as if her intentions had been obvious. "Did you really think the best way to handle her relationship with James was to run away like a some pansy Slytherin?"  
  
Freddie rolled his eyes. "Rose, you have no idea—"  
  
"Oh, I have an idea," she said sharply. "Brightest witch of her age, remember? You're an idiot."  
  
"Not all of us can be as smart as you."  
  
"No excuse for idiocy," she shot back. "Look, Fred, you've been in a funk since this thing with you and Thee started. You're obviously miserable. Why are you wasting your time being so unhappy?"  
  
"I'm plenty happy," he protested.  
  
"Yeah, and I'm shagging Malfoy," she replied, rolling her eyes. "Stop lying to yourself."  
  
Freddie glared at her. "No one likes a know-it-all, Rosie," he snapped.  
  
"Well, no one likes a mopey cock-for-brains, either," Rose countered. She grabbed the top of her slinky shirt and adjusted it, showing much more cleavage than Freddie would have liked. "Now, if you'll excuse me, this know-it-all is going to go snog the pants off that hunk over by the fire, and I'm not just saying that." She winked at Freddie, who tried not to gag. "Think about what I said, I'm always right!" she called over her shoulder as she disappeared into the crowd.  
  
Freddie shook his head and reached over the bar, grabbing a bottle of Firewhiskey. He tossed the cap behind him and took a long swig, revelling in the burn down his throat. He doubted he'd be doing much thinking at all.  
  
***  
  
The heat of anger that had been carrying Dorothy most of the way back to the Hufflepuff common room was long gone by the time she reached the barrel. She was really just exhausted, both physically and emotionally, and wanted to sit on the floor of the shower and cry. She felt clammy and sticky, and smelled strongly of alcohol. The thought of her dormitory made her heart swell.  
  
The common room wasn't empty, but other students were scarce. Dorothy looked down at her watch, making out that it was around three in the morning. The weight of her exhaustion seemed to double with this knowledge.   
  
She headed straight for the Seventh Year Girls' dormitory, shoving herself through the round door and stopping dead at the sight of James sitting on the edge of Hope's four poster, watching her intently as she slept.  
  
She blinked once, convinced she was seeing things. "James?" she asked in disbelief when the illusion didn't disappear like she had hoped.  
  
James jumped in surprise, turning to see Dorothy behind him. "Dorothy!"  
  
"What the hell are you doing?" Dorothy asked.  
  
James flushed violently. "She—Jacobs—was sloshed. I brought her here, but I didn't want to leave her by herself in case she got sick—"  
  
"Oh," she said simply. "That was thoughtful of you. You can go home now, I'll watch her."  
  
James looked taken aback. "Are you sure? Is everything okay?"  
  
"Everything's just peachy, James," Dorothy snapped. James's eyes widened. Dorothy sighed, then said, "I'm sorry. Just...just please go back to Gryffindor now, I want to go to bed."  
  
"Dorothy, you're obviously upset," James countered, getting off of Hope's bed and walking towards his girlfriend. "Talk to me."  
  
He set his hand on her shoulder, and she shook him off, the tears she hadn't even realized we're pooling in her eyes beginning to overflow. "I don't want to."  
  
She walked past him to her bed and kicked her shoes off, then began to pull off her socks. "Dorothy," James pleaded, feeling helpless and guilty. "What happened?" She didn't respond to him. He let out an exasperated groan. "Come on, you always do this."  
  
"Do what?" Dorothy hissed over her shoulder.  
  
"Bottle everything up!" he exclaimed. "Whatever happened with Fred, whenever you're upset...you don't _talk_ to me! How am I supposed to help you if you refuse to let me in?"  
  
 _I never needed to tell Freddie what was wrong,_ she thought to herself. She shook her head at the thought. She didn't need Freddie.  
  
When she didn't say anything, James dejectedly said, "Damnit, Dorothy, I love you. I want to be there for you."  
  
"Just go." Her voice was low and shaky, alerting James to the fact that she was crying. He wanted to do something, anything, but he was lost. "Please."  
  
"I hate leaving you like this," he said.  
  
"Just get out!" she demanded, her voice choking on a sob. Afraid he would upset her more, James left the dormitory.  
  
Dorothy collapsed forward, bracing herself on her hands on the mattress. She was trying to calm herself down, trying to get her breathing under control.  All her life, what she'd wanted was for James to be the one to hold her when she cried, to be the one chasing after her, to be there to make her feel okay again. But when she'd needed his back up, he'd been taking care of her best friend instead. And then she'd practically ripped his head off when he tried to care for her. She didn't want James to make her feel better.  
  
She wanted Fred.  
  
The thought sparked a new wave of sobs to wrack her body as she remembered how she'd caused such a scene back at the party. Dorothy didn't know what she was doing without Freddie in her life. She was lost and drowning, and James could do nothing to stop it.  
  
Dorothy stripped to her underwear, and climbed beneath her duvet, tears pouring down her face. She reached for the battered book in her beside table out of desperation and picked up her quill.  
  
***  
  
Freddie sat at the edge of his four poster with a book in his lap, staring blankly at the page he was on. He was drunk, much too drunk, yet no where near drunk enough to handle this.  
  
Those three little words that had been screaming inside his skull since the train.  
  
 _I miss you._  
  
He reached for a quill, his thoughts racing. His hand hovered over the page as his sluggish mind tried to comprehend what he should do. His hand shook. The quill fell and clattered softly against the floor.  
  
Freddie closed the book, and tossed it back on his bedside table.  
  
He rolled over and went to sleep.


	25. I Just Need Help

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "How exciting. Fertilizer."

Dorothy woke up the next morning, still clutching the diary to her chest. Her heart stopped as she ripped it open to the page she'd written on the night before, praying she'd somehow slept through the beeping caused by a response.  
  
  
The page was blank.  
  
Dorothy choked on a sob as she slammed the book shut and threw it as hard as she could at the other side of the room. It slid beneath Fiona's bed and out of sight.  
  
Taking a deep breath, Dorothy rose to her feet. She was not one of those weepy birds that can't function after a boy breaks their heart. It was time she stopped acting like one. She kept telling herself how she didn't need Freddie Weasley to be happy. It was about damn time she proved it.  
  
Making her way over to the loo, Dorothy rubbed at her cheeks, erasing any signs of tears. She'd cried enough over Freddie. It was all she'd done for a month. She was done crying.  
  
Dorothy Longbottom was done.  
  
She stared at her reflection in the mirror. She needed a shower desperately. She heard a groan from back in the dormitory and assumed it was Hope beginning to return to the land of the living. As she stripped down to hop in the shower, Dorothy remembered that after a night with the heaviness of drinking Hope had done last night, she was going to be out of commission until around three in the afternoon.  
  
Dorothy stepped into the shower and turned the water on to the highest heat possible. As the streams of water pounded into her back, she bowed her head and took a deep breath, allowing the scalding water to wash her of everything that was happening: her fight with Fred, her inability to open up to James, her jealousy of him and Hope.  
  
Dorothy stood in the shower until the water began to cool on its own, then quickly scrubbed her hair and body. Stepping out, she wrapped herself in a towel and walked back into the main room of the dormitory. She peered over at Hope, who was laying with a pillow over her face, as if trying to suffocate herself. Next to her was Fiona's bed, which looked as though it had yet to be slept in.  She furrowed her brow as she approached her armoire and dressed quickly. She hung her towel over a post on her four poster and sat on the trunk at the end of her bed, quickly plaiting her still wet hair.  
  
The round door to the dormitory opened quietly, and Fiona stepped in the room, still wearing her party clothes from last night.  
  
Dorothy smirked. "Someone's home late."  
  
Fiona jumped, releasing a curse beneath her breath. "Merlin, Longbottom!"  
  
"Where were you last night?" Dorothy asked suggestively, waggling her eyebrows.  
  
Fiona blushed. "Shut up." She strode across the room and threw herself into her bunk with a loud sigh. "My bed is so much more comfortable than James's."  
  
Dorothy raised an eyebrow. "James's? Is there something going on I should know about?"  
  
Fiona laughed as she rolled over, then untied her boots with a wave of her wand and kicked them onto the floor. "Your boyfriend did see my bare tit, the prat," she remarked casually. "Louis picked the bed. Said James wouldn't mind, and he didn't even come up until almost five. I almost cursed his bollocks off for peeking at me."  
  
Dorothy laughed and shook her head. "It sounds like a fair trade for shagging in his bed."  
  
Fiona laughed loudly. "That's what Lou said too."  
  
"He leave already?"  
  
"Yeah," Fiona said sadly. "He had to be in at half past."  
  
Hope let out a string of colorful curses. Fiona turned to her best friend and rolled her eyes. "She get a potion yet?"  
  
Dorothy shook her head. "Should I get her one?"  
  
"No," Fiona said. "If she's stupid enough to get a hangover, she can drag her sorry arse out of bed and get her own draught."  
  
Dorothy looked at Fiona curiously, who normally retrieved things for Hope without question. "Payback?" she asked.  
  
Fiona shrugged. "Not even. It's Hope's own stupid rule."  
  
Hope called Fiona something unintelligible, but Fiona laughed anyway. "You've brought this upon yourself!"  
  
***  
  
Hours later, Hope was finally out of bed and trudging to the Great Hall. The draught was working its way through her system and her head had finally cleared, but she still felt slow and her limbs heavy. She hadn't even bothered to change into real clothes, simply pulled on a pair of scarlet boxer shorts that had a dragon breathing fire across her arse beneath the blue jumper she didn't recognize, but decided she was definitely keeping.  
  
She squeezed her toes in her Hippogriff slippers as she finally turned into the hall, smiling as the mingled scents of great food assaulted her nose. Rather than heading straight to the Hufflepuff table to search for her friends, Hope turned instead to Gryffindor and made her way towards a cluster of ginger heads.  
  
"Morning," Hope said, catching Rose's attention.  
  
"It's three in the afternoon," she replied, a smirk dancing on her lips.  
  
Hope shrugged. "Have you seen Albus, per chance?"  
  
"You called?"  
  
Hope turned quickly in surprise to see Albus standing beside her, flanked by some other sixth year Gryffindors she didn't know the names of. "Great timing, Potter," she said.  
  
"You always want me when you're dressed for bed...should I be taking a hint here, Jacobs?"  
  
Hope laughed. "Maybe you should, eh?" Albus waggled his eyebrows at her, and she laughed again. "I just wanted to thank you for last night."  
  
"If I had a Sickle—"  
  
"Will you hush, I'm trying to be nice here," Hope said, trying not to laugh. "Hanging with you is the last thing I remember, so I assume you got me home safe, and I appreciate it."  
  
"Oh," Albus said, suddenly serious. "Yeah, of course. We definitely weren't going to send you by yourself—"  
  
"Which is wonderfully sweet," Hope said, waving at James over his shoulder, who was staring over at her curiously from where he sat with Lily, a textbook between them.  
  
"It really wasn't a problem, I didn't—"  
  
"It was though, I'm a terror once I've blacked out. So, thanks," Hope said, stepping towards him. "By the way, I'm keeping your jumper."  
  
"It's not—" Hope interrupted him by placing a chaste kiss on his lips. A cup broke in the background.  
  
"You're the sweetest, Al."  
  
"A lap dance yesterday, a kiss today? I should hang around you more often, Jacobs."  
  
Behind them, James was on his feet. As he was about to say something to rip his brother off of that high horse he was sitting on, there was a gentle tap on his shoulder. He turned and saw Dorothy standing there, her teeth gnawing on her lower lip. "Can we talk?"  
  
Although torn between disemboweling his brother that was still flirting with Hope Jacobs and following his girlfriend, he nodded.  
  
Once outside the Great Hall, Dorothy turned to look at James. The tension from their fight last night hung heavily between them as James waited for her to start talking. She'd had this whole speech prepared about how she would try and be a better girlfriend, how he deserved someone better than her, everything she knew he wanted to hear. But what came out was, "Whittle cleared me for flying this morning."  
  
James nodded. "That's, uh, that's good."  
  
"Yeah, I'm pretty excited. I haven't told anyone yet, I wanted you to be the first to know." She stared at him, praying he would pick up on what she was trying to say. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.  
  
James gave her a funny look and replied, "Okay."  
  
They stood in awkward silence for a moment. Dorothy then blurted out, "Valentine's is Saturday."  
  
James nodded. "I know."  
  
"Are we, uh, are we doing anything?" Are we okay? Do you still love me?  
  
James sighed, rubbing his hand over the back of his neck. "Well, yeah. I thought so. It's a Hogsmeade weekend, I figured we'd do something nice."  
  
Dorothy stepped forward and laid her lips gently on his. Neither one was smiling when she pulled back, and she bit down hard on her lip again. "Okay."  
  
"Okay."  
  
***  
  
Freddie sat in an empty Potions classroom, throwing ingredients into a cauldron before him, taking notes in a book beside him. “Hey, nerd.”  
  
Freddie jumped and turned to see Fiona standing in the doorway. “What do you want, Little?”  
  
“Does Patil know you’re stealing her supplies?” she asked as she wandered into the room and slid onto the stool beside him.  
  
“I’m not stealing her supplies,” Freddie said, stirring the potion three times clockwise and once counterclockwise. “Patil and I have a deal.”  
  
“Which is?” Fiona pestered.  
  
Freddie shot her a look of annoyance over his cauldron. “Ever since she took on training Professor McCain, she has a lot less time to make and supply potions needed around the castle. So, in exchange for access in her private stores for experimentation, I’m responsible for helping her keep up with demands.”  
  
“Such as?”  
  
“Well, right now, I’m working on new fertilizer for Hagrid.”  
  
Fiona leaned forward onto the desk and placed her chin on her fist as she let out a coo of interest. “How exciting. Fertilizer.”  
  
Freddie couldn’t help but chuckle. “It’s a home recipe, Little. It gives me an opportunity to see how different ingredients interact under different circumstances.”  
  
“Wow, you are the biggest nerd I’ve ever met.”  
  
Freddie laughed. “What are you doing down here, anyway?”  
  
“Are we not friends?”  
  
“Uh, I guess we are,” Freddie said as he sprinkled a white power into the cauldron and it released a red poof of smoke. “But aren’t you best friends with Dor?”  
  
“That doesn’t mean I stop being friends with you, Weasley.”  
  
“Doesn’t it?”  
  
“Jeez, for a Gryffindor, you really don’t understand loyalty, huh?” Freddie stared at her. “Anyway, you’ve been moping around more than usual today, so I figured you could use a friend.”  
  
“You have a way with words, Little.”  
  
“It’s a gift. Now teach me more potions crap, I want it to poof again.”  
  
***  
  
As the days passed, James felt his heart weighing heavier and heavier in his chest. He and Dorothy talked even less now than they did before, and now Al and Hope had this new weird flirty friendship...thing that ended up with her on his lap way more often than James cared to see.  
  
He was so...confused.  
  
He’d really give anything to talk to Fred right now, but any time the two boys were in the same room together, Freddie’s face got all scrunched up and he would storm out. Probably to go find Fiona or something, who he’d been spending an unusual amount of time with.  
  
James thought of talking to Louis, but the two of them had never really been that close with things like this. “James!”  
  
James looked up to see Hope coming towards where he was sitting and smiled. “Hey, Jacobs.”  
  
“What’s going on? Did you get lost in here?” she asked, gesturing to the library he’d asked her to meet him in.  
  
James laughed and shook his head. “Very funny, Hope.”  
  
She smirked at him as she sat down in a chair next to him. “So what’s up, Potter? You have my full attention.”  
  
“You know how you said a while back that I was a good teacher?”  
  
Hope looked at him curiously, wondering where this was going. “Yeah, so?”  
  
“Well, I’ve been tutoring Lily a lot more lately, and Professor Drexel asked her what she was doing differently studying-wise, so she told him about it. And he called me into his office this morning, and said that he was looking for a replacement in the next few years.”  
  
“Drexel is a dinosaur,” Hope commented.  
  
“Hope,” James said seriously. “He offered me an internship to work beneath him as his assistant for three years. After that, all my family members will have graduated and he’ll retire and the job is mine. Apparently McGonagall approved it and everything.”  
  
Hope’s eyes grew large. “What’d you say?”  
  
“I accepted it.”  
  
Hope jumped from her chair and on top of him with a screech. “That’s amazing! I’m so happy for you!”  
  
James wrapped his arms tightly around Hope as his heart quickened beneath her. “Thank you.”  
  
“I knew you didn’t want to be an Auror,” she teased.  
  
“I never even submitted an application,” James admitted.  
  
Hope pulled out of the embrace, but remained sitting on his knee. “Merlin, this is amazing, James. The opportunity of a lifetime. Are they giving you a stipend?”  
  
“Yeah, Drexel said he and McGonagall needed to sit down and work out the details, but they wanted to know if I was interested before they made any real plans.”  
  
“This is so cool. What’d Dora say when you told her?”  
  
James paled slightly. “I haven’t.”  
  
“You haven’t?”  
  
“I haven’t told anyone...well, except you.”  
  
Hope smiled at him, then hugged him tightly again. “Stop worrying. You’re going to be a great professor.” She hopped to her feet, and said, “I’ve got to run though, Quidditch. Write your dad a letter, yeah? He’ll be happy for you!”  
  
James nodded and watched her run from the library. He sunk back into the seat he was in and took a deep breath. He needed to write a letter, but it wasn’t to his dad. It was to the person he feared may have been right all along.  
  
***  
  
The Hufflepuff Quidditch team was a chorus of groans as the seven members held their planks in the center of the pitch. “Please say it’s been two minutes,” Jesse begged, lifting his head with a grimace as his arms shook violently.  
  
“Twenty more seconds, come on guys, we’re almost there!” Hope called through her own gritted teeth.  
  
“Think of the abs, Jesse!” Marcus shouted at him.  
  
“The abs aren’t worth the pain!” Jesse shot back.  
  
“Think of the look on James Potter’s face!” Greg suggested.  
  
“Ooh, that’s worth it,” Jesse said with a chuckle.  
  
“Seven, six, five,” Hope counted out loud. “Four, three, two, one!”  
  
All seven players hit the ground, groaning in relief. “Oh, it hurts,” Kyle moaned.  
  
“Hope, I hate this circuit,” Fiona snapped, curling into the dirt.  
  
“You’ll thank me later,” Hope said, catching her breath. “Come on, lemon squeezers!”  
  
“I’ve been cleared for flying for three days, you’d think I’d have gotten to touch a broom,” Dorothy mumbled as she sat next to Fiona and the two of them began the exercise.  
  
“Good things come to those who wait,” she said. “But hey, I got it back from Freddie yesterday, so that’s something.”  
  
Dorothy didn’t reply for a moment. “How, uh, how is he?”  
  
Fiona looked over at her friend, then said, “He’s alright.”  
  
Dorothy nodded. “That’s good.” Quickly changing the subject, she asked, “Is Lou meeting you for Valentine’s?”  
  
Fiona smiled. “Yes, he is. James taking you out?”  
  
“Uh, yeah.”  
  
“You guys still having issues?”  
  
Dorothy laughed a little. “Yeah.”  
  
***  
  
Later that night, Dorothy was alone in the dormitory when an owl pecked loudly against the window. Dragging her sore body from her bed, she yanked open the window to reveal a dishevelled looking Hector. “What are you doing here?” Dorothy asked the owl. She hurried over to Fiona’s dresser and pulled out one of Hibou’s treats to give to Hector, which he took gratefully.  
  
Dorothy pulled the letter from his leg, seeing the name “Teddy” sprawled across it in James’s handwriting. “I’m not Teddy!” she said, glaring at the bird. “Give me that treat back!”  
  
With an indignant hoot, he flew back out the window and out of sight. Dorothy sighed and shut the window against the chilly February breeze. She wandered back to her four poster and sat, holding the letter in her hand, deciding whether or not to open it. She knew if James was writing Ted that it was probably something important. It was probably none of her business. But James was her boyfriend. He would tell her the contents of the letter eventually anyway, right? So really she wasn’t harming anyone by reading it…  
  
She ripped the letter open and hastily began to read.  
  
  
 _Ted--  
  
Look, I really need someone to talk to. Fred won’t look at me, and Merlin forbid I talk to Al. You know how he gets when he’s right. And I guess this is where I should really be starting this letter: You were right. Happy?  
  
Look, mate...I don’t know what to do. Dorothy is...well...Dorothy. She’s sweet and kind and beautiful and I love her. Well, I think I love her.  
  
Because of Dorothy’s best friend, Hope. Circe, Ted, I can’t even begin to tell you how amazing this bird is. She’s all I can think about all the time. She drives me absolutely mad, and we can talk about anything. She’s the first person I want to go to with everything. She makes me happier than I ever remember being.  
  
But there’s Dorothy. I don’t know what to do with Dorothy. She’s one of my oldest mates, and I’m supposed to love her and I want to love her. She and I have been through so much to be together.  
  
But Hope...mate, you’ve got to meet this girl. She makes all that destiny crud Al’s always spewing make sense.  
  
Please tell me what to do. I promise I’ll listen this time.  
  
James_  
  


Swallowing thickly, Dorothy sat the letter down beside her on the bed. That qualified as something important, didn't it.


	26. I Just Want You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "There you go, being all heroic again. I'm fine, I'm not a damsel in distress, there's no dragon to slay here. You Gryffindors are so much work."

“Who should I take to Hogsmeade tomorrow?” Hope asked no one in particular. Dorothy, Hope, and Fiona were sitting together on top of a stone wall surrounding a busy courtyard, watching crowds of students bustle through to classes.  
  
  
“You don’t have a date yet?” Fiona asked, flicking a pebble off the top of the wall and sending it flying about five feet forward.  
  
“It’s not like I haven’t had offers,” Hope clarified, rolling her eyes. “Just no...stand outs. You know?”  
  
“Yes, we know, every bloke in Hogwarts is drooling over you, poor thing,” Dorothy snapped, yanking slightly too hard on a frayed piece of her Hufflepuff scarf. When neither of her friends responded, Dorothy turned her head to look at them. “What?”  
  
“What is with you, Longbottom?” Fiona asked. “You’ve been snapping at Hope for two days now.”  
  
Dorothy’s gaze shifted to Hope’s face, which was pulled tight with a mix of hurt and guilt. Dorothy sighed. “I’m sorry, I’m just...stressed. I have a lot on my mind.”  
  
“You want to talk about it?” Hope said, her voice filled with concern. “We’re here for you Dora.”  
  
“Is it about James? Is he still being a prick to you, because I can kill him,” Fiona said quickly.  
  
Dorothy let out a sad laugh as she looked down at her shoes. “No, it’s okay. I just need to get over it.”  
  
Hope frowned. “If you’re sure.”  
  
Trust me, the last person I want to discuss this with is you, Dorothy thought to herself. She forced a smile. “I’m sure.”  
  
The three girls sat in silence for a while, merely watching the other students stroll by on the unusually warm winter day. “What about Albus?” Fiona asked suddenly.  
  
Hope looked over at her curiously. “What about Albus?”  
  
“For Hogsmeade,” Fiona explained. “Since none of your current offers are good enough.”  
  
“You two are pretty close lately, always kissing and such,” Dorothy teased, a hint of meanness in her tone. Hope would have both Potter boys fawning over her.  
  
“Yeah, but he’s Albus,” Hope said, scrunching up her nose. “We’re just friends.”  
  
Fiona laughed loudly. “Oh, yeah, because I lock lips with my ‘just friends’ all the time.”  
  
“No, seriously!” Hope said, shoving Fiona’s shoulder. “We’ve got this weird as hell relationship that’s completely platonic but totally sexual. Like, I’ll sit on him before I’d sit on the couch, but I never want to see him naked, you know?”  
  
Fiona and Dorothy stared at her. “No,” Dorothy said. “Not in the least.”  
  
“Ugh!” Hope groaned, burying her face in her hands. “Al is absolutely not a viable option.”  
  
“He’s merely a living, breathing boyfriend pillow?” Fiona asked.  
  
“Yes!” Hope exclaimed. “Exactly.”  
  
“That’s fucking weird.”  
  
Hope rolled her eyes. “You’re the worst. Anyway, he’s head over heels for this snarky fifth year in Ravenclaw. It’s practically all he talks about. Well, her and Quidditch.”  
  
“And how is acting like he’s dating you helping with landing the Ravenclaw?” Dorothy asked, looking for reasons to be angry with Hope.  
  
“Oh, she’s a lesbian,” Hope clarified.  
  
Both Dorothy and Fiona sucked in a harsh breath. “Wow, tough break.”  
  
“Yeah, he’s in denial about it,” Hope said offhandedly. “Actually, she might be too, now that I mention it.”  
  
“Are you trying to out Albus’s lady love?” Fiona asked.  
  
“Trust me, she’s gay.”  
  
Dorothy cocked an eyebrow. “And how do you know?”  
  
“Besides the fact that Al Potter is obviously and hopelessly in love with her and she’s yet to act on it?” Hope asked. “I met her once. She spent the entire conversation talking to my tits.”  
  
"Oh, Albus."  
  
***  
  
As the evening’s post flew into the Great Hall over dinner, James desperately searched the air for the Potter’s owl, Hector, bringing back advice from Teddy Lupin. As the birds soared through the skies, James heart sank as the old bird was no where to be found. “Expecting something?” Dorothy asked, her voice strained.  
  
James turned to her quickly, forcing a grin he hoped looked to be easy across his face. “Nothing important.”  
  
Dorothy’s hands clenched her tie tightly as she nodded, pushing the tears from her eyes.  
  
“Are you sure, James?” Hope asked, obviously prodding at something.  
  
James shot her a look. “Yes.”  
  
Hope sighed, and Dorothy’s eyes flashed back and forth between the two of them. Did Hope know about James’s feelings for her? Was that why she hadn’t found a suitable date for Hogsmeade tomorrow?  
  
“So, Hope,” Dorothy said, noticing how James perked up at her name. “Did you find a date for tomorrow?”  
  
Hope grinned. “Yeah, I did. Lester MacKnowles. He’s a real dream boat, right?”  
  
“That prick from Slytherin?” James guffawed. “He’s your Valentine’s date?”  
  
“You only think Lester is a prick because he’s in Slytherin, and you’re big headed off of Gryffindor pride,” Hope said, blowing off James’s sputtering. Dorothy decided that there was no way Hope knew about how James felt. “He’s perfectly sweet to me, and he’s a Prefect.”  
  
“Oh, yeah, because a badge automatically makes someone suitable,” James said bitterly.  
  
“He’s the one with the floppy hair that does the nice thing in the front, right?” Fiona asked casually, as if James wasn’t tromping around like a two year old.  
  
“Yeah,” Hope said, turning to her best friend excitedly. “His hair alone makes me want to shove him up against a wall in the corridor and snog him senseless.”  
  
James choked loudly on the sip of pumpkin juice he’d just taken. Fiona looked over at him and laughed. “Like you’ve never shoved our Longbottom up against a wall and had your way with her,” Fiona said.  
  
Dorothy cleared her throat, obviously uncomfortable. “Um, no.”  
  
Fiona shot Dorothy an apologetic look. “Oh. Well, you should try it sometime. I, uh, highly recommend it.”  
  
“So, are you looking forward to getting demolished on the pitch in the Final, Potter?” Hope asked, a teasing glint in her eye.  
  
James looked at her challenging expression and burst into laughter. “Yeah, maybe. If we were going up against a team that stood a chance.”  
  
Hope cocked a thin eyebrow. “And what gives you the right to be so arrogant?”  
  
“I’m sorry, Jacobs, have you missed the headlines? This year’s Gryffindor team is the best the school has ever seen.”  
  
“That’s because they haven’t seen Hufflepuff against you,” Hope shot back. “I’ll put three Galleons on you bawling like a baby after that match.”  
  
“A bet’s no fun if there’s no risk, Jacobs,” he retorted. “No offense or anything, but you lot don’t stand a chance.”  
  
Hope smirked. “No offense or anything, but at least we didn’t lose to Slytherin.”  
  
James stared at her and his jaw dropped. Dorothy was watching the interaction with increased interest, noting how James’s voice lowered as he teased her and Hope’s cheeks flushed with color as he winked when he thought he was being clever. Not to mention how they leaned across the table towards each other, as if Dorothy and Fiona had ceased to exist.  
  
“You take that back, Jacobs,” James said. “That was too far and you know it.”  
  
“Hey, all’s fair on the pitch, sweetie,” Hope said triumphantly. The anger on James’s face seemed to melt away as he took in how prideful she looked. “Ouch!” she shrieked. “Did you just kick my shin?”  
  
James smirked. “Maybe.”  
  
“You are three years old, Potter,” Hope said with a glare, kicking him back twice as hard.  
  
“Bloody hell, Jacobs!”  
  
Their bickering seemed to fade as Dorothy’s thoughts overcrowded her head. She’d been watching them since she’d read the letter just two nights ago, and anyone who actually took the time to look could easily see James and Hope were more than just friends. A whole mix of emotions were boiling in the pit of Dorothy’s stomach, but the most prominent wasn’t hate or jealousy, it was stupidity. How did she not realize sooner the electric connection her boyfriend had with one of her closest friends when it only took seconds for the two of them to light up a room?  
  
Dorothy thought back to the letter currently hiding beneath her mattress, of James’s words on the page: She makes all that destiny crud Al’s always spewing make sense.  
  
He said he loves me! a small voice shouted in the back of her mind. But Dorothy knew better. The way they fought against eye contact, how her hand didn’t exactly fit inside his, how silence seemed to follow them and conversation was so hard to come by. When James was with Hope, the two of them never had a dull moment. They were always laughing loudly or conversing seriously under their breath in classes while Dorothy sat taking detailed notes for them to copy later.  
  
He and Hope looked the way Dorothy and Freddie had looked since they were children. Not that Freddie is in love with you or anything crazy like that, Dorothy reminded herself. He doesn’t even look at you anymore.  
  
Oh, how she longed for someone to look at her the way James looked at Hope.  
  
She missed Fred.  
  
“Oi, Longbottom, you coming?” Fiona asked, snapping Dorothy back into reality.  
  
Dorothy blinked once, looking up at Fiona with confusion. “What?”  
  
“We’re heading out, you coming?” Fiona repeated, looking at her friend curiously. Fiona knew that Dorothy and James were having “issues”, but the blonde girl refused to go into it. However, she’d been miserable and irritable  since Wednesday night, and her mood was worsening exponentially as Valentine’s Day approached.  
  
“Yeah, of course,” Dorothy said quickly, snatching her satchel from the ground and hurrying to catch up with her friends.  
  
***  
  
Dorothy’s favorite thing about Gryffindor Tower was the window sill. Being above ground allowed for the Gryffindor common room to be filled with rays of natural light through a beautifully ornate window made from cast iron and rippled glass. Sitting on the window sill while in Gryffindor Tower was one of her favorite pastimes. Hufflepuff’s main common room was underground, so it didn’t have any windows. And the few that did exist in the dormitories were small and high up on the wall. But in Gryffindor, she could sit on the stone sill and press her face against the glass as she stared out at the distorted picture of the outside.  
  
Tonight, she missed that sill more than usual. Dorothy was lying in bed, staring up blankly at her four poster, not really seeing anything. Her mind was spinning, worry about tomorrow weighing her down.  
  
What was she going to do about James?  
  
From what Dorothy could see, she had two options. One, she could stay with James and pretend like he wasn’t falling in love with her best friend. She could play dumb, hope that one day he would get over it and fall back in love with Dorothy. She could ignore the obvious feelings Hope had for him. She could be selfish.  
  
Two, she could break up with James.  
  
Dorothy thought back to before she and James dated. The love letters, the flowers, the gifts...where had that James gone? Had any of it been real? The James she’d seen beaming at Hope tonight at dinner invaded her mind once again. How were those two blokes the same?  
  
Groaning, Dorothy tossed her head to the side and squeezed her eyes shut. How could one boy make her feel like she was worth both everything and nothing?  
  
Dorothy’s thoughts drifted to Hope, whom she’d been so angry with the past two days for doing nothing wrong. Hope hadn’t asked for James’s affection. She wanted Dorothy to be happy. Yet Dorothy was unsure if their friendship could survive if she chucked James so he could be with Hope. Would Dorothy be able to look at her best friend after handing her everything Dorothy ever wanted?  
  
***  
  
Dorothy yawed loudly as she made her way down to the path to Hogsmeade with Hope and Fiona, who were chatting animatedly in front of her. Dorothy had no idea when she’d fallen asleep the night before, but she vaguely remembered the sky beginning to lighten with the rising sun, so she was certain she had only gotten two or three hours of sleep.  
  
“There you three are,” James called from where he stood by the exit of the castle, a bouquet of flowers in his hands. At least they weren’t roses.  
  
Dorothy approached him cautiously and pressed a kiss on his cheek, taking the flowers he offered her. “Happy Valentine’s,” she said softly.  
  
He smiled back at her. “Happy Valentine’s.” He broke the eye contact with Dorothy and looked at Hope and Fiona. Where Dorothy had donned her trademark denims with a flowy pink blouse, Fiona had gone with a much more lusty approach to Valentine’s Day with a leather jacket, heeled combat boots with black denims tucked in, and a steampunk corset. Almost a perfect mix of the two was Hope, who had her bright red curls pinned to the side of her head and flowing over her shoulder, while wearing a burgundy lace skater dress, solid black tights, and high heels.  
  
James couldn’t take his eyes off her. “You all look amazing,” he said, trying to cover his distraction.  
  
“Thanks, James,” Hope said with a smile as she toyed with the charm bracelet on her wrist.  
  
“Not that I don’t love seeing you, Potter, but where’s Lou?” Fiona asked impatiently.  
  
“Oh, Fiona,” James said suddenly, digging into his pockets. He pulled out a red envelope with the number “1” written on it. “This is for you. From Louis.”  
  
Fiona snatched the letter from James’s hand and pulled it open, removing a handwritten note inside. “What a wanker,” she murmured under her breath.  
  
“What?” Hope asked.  
  
“He’s sending me on a bloody scavenger hunt through the village,” Fiona grouched.  
  
“That’s sweet,” Dorothy said, a small smile pulling at her lips.  
  
Fiona frowned. “It’s a lot of work.”  
  
“Oh, he knew you’d say that,” James said with a grin as he pulled a small heart shaped box from his pocket. “So you get presents from each of your note givers.”  
  
Fiona grinned as she took the box from James and opened it, revealing six pieces of ornate chocolate. “He is such a troll.”  
  
“What’s the first clue say?” Hope asked, poking her friend violently in the side.  
  
“Uh,” Fiona said through a mouthful of chocolate, reopening her first clue. “Sappy, sappy, sappy...love, love, love...ah, ha! Your next clue lies with someone I’d rather not mention, but you used him as a shield and got us both detention.”  
  
Fiona burst into giggles at the memory. “Who’s that?” Dorothy asked.  
  
“Oh, Merlin, that was back in our third year,” Fiona said, still laughing. “He shot a Bat Bogey Hex at me, so I grabbed the closest person I could find.”  
  
Recognition flashed across James’s face. “Wasn’t that--”  
  
“Albus, yeah,” Fiona finished, snorting to herself. “I’d forgotten about that one, McGonagall had us in the Trophy Room for a week.”  
  
“Oh, Albus is stalking Gretchen today,” Hope said knowingly.  
  
“You mean that lesbian from Ravenclaw he’s had a thing for?” James asked.  
  
“Thank you!” Hope said. “I told him she was a lesbian!”  
  
***  
  
Hope wasn’t meeting Lester for their date until later in the afternoon, so she tagged along with Fiona to track down her clues to Louis. Finding Albus hadn’t been too hard, because he was exactly where he said he’d be: in a bush outside Madam Puddifoot’s, watching Gretchen on her date with Clara.  
  
“They’re just mates!” Albus insisted as Hope tried to explain to him that girls didn’t share one drink with two straws with “just a mate.”  
  
“I don’t care if they’re wrestling in mud, I want my clue, Potter!” Fiona said, bouncing up and down excitedly.  
  
Albus shot Fiona a look of annoyance, but conceded. “Here you go, enjoy your happiness with your eternal love.”  
  
“No, no,” Fiona said quickly. “James gave me chocolate. Where is my chocolate?”  
  
“You think that if Louis gave me chocolate, I’d save them for you?” Albus asked incredulously.  
  
“Point,” Hope agreed.  
  
“I have this,” he said, procuring a jewelry box. Fiona took it from him and popped the top open to reveal beautiful silver dangle earrings.  
  
“Holy Merlin, I’m going to suffocate him,” Fiona said. She turned to look at Hope, who had a very confused expression on her face. “I don’t need this! Sure, it’s nice and sweet, but I’d rather have the extra time with him.”  
  
“Oh, let him spoil you, would you?” Albus said, rolling his eyes.  
  
Fiona stuck her tongue out at him, then said, “Your ‘not lesbian’ is currently snogging her ‘just mate,’ if you were curious.”  
  
Albus whirled around and groaned. “Aw, man!”  
  
“Where to next?” Hope asked.  
  
Fiona skimmed through the note, letting out a guffaw of laughter at the end of it. “Rose.”  
  
“She’s at the Hog’s Head with Lily and some other birds for a hen’s day,” Albus said sadly.  
  
Hope turned to him and frowned. “Oh, Al, keep your head up. There are plenty of spunky redheads that aren’t related to you or lesbians.”  
  
Al chuckled. “Thanks, Hope.”  
  
Hope leaned forward and pecked his lips. “Any time, sweetie.” She turned to Fiona. “Now what did you do to Rose to get her involved in this?”  
  
As the two girls began walking to the Hog’s Head, Fiona began, “It may have involved hanging upside down from a chandelier.”  
  
***  
  
James and Dorothy were squeezed in a little corner booth inside Madam Puddifoot’s, completely surrounded by flying Cupids and other couples. Neither had said much on the walk down, but Dorothy’s heart was pounding so hard she could feel it in her temples.  
  
James was looking down, skimming the menu that kept throwing heart shaped confetti into his face each time he turned the page. He had about thirty hearts scattered through his hair from where he’d run his hand through it.  
  
“What do you think you’re going to have?” James asked, peering up at Dorothy.  
  
“I think we should break up,” exploded from Dorothy’s lips before she could stop herself. She gasped and clamped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide. She hadn’t meant to start their date off like that. She hadn’t even decided what she wanted yet. But there it was, out in the open.  
  
James blinked at her. “What?”  
  
“Nevermind,” she squeaked as she wrenched open her menu to hide behind, getting a face full of confetti.  
  
“No, no,” James said, his voice edging on hysterical as he slammed his menu on the table. “You said you wanted to break up.”  
  
Dorothy sighed and laid her menu flat. Pieces of confetti were plastered all across her cheeks and in her fringe. “It’s not that I want to,” Dorothy said softly. “You do.”  
  
James’s face paled. “I do not.”  
  
“Don’t lie to me, James,” Dorothy said, her voice tired. She looked him directly in the eye. “Don’t you dare lie to me to spare my feelings. I’m not dumb.”  
  
James sighed and reached forward to brush some of the hearts from her face. His thoughts were swirling as he tried to figure out a plan. “But we love each other,” he said simply. Dorothy looked at him sadly. Her eyes bored into him, being more effective than his own conscience. He looked down. “I don’t know what I want.”  
  
“Yes, you do,” Dorothy said, looking down. “You want Hope.”  
  
James’s eyes locked on Dorothy’s for a moment. “What?” he breathed.  
  
Dorothy thought momentarily about telling him she had received his letter. “I...I see the way you look at her. Like she’s the only girl in the room. The way you two talk to one another, as if the conversation could never stop even if you wanted it to. You never run out of things you want to say to each other. You and I? This is the most we’ve talked in weeks.”  
  
James stared at Dorothy, unsure of how to respond. “You don’t love me, James,” she said, willing her voice to stay strong. “You may have thought you did, but I’ll never be Hope. I know that. And I won’t stand in the way of the two of you.”  
  
“I...I don’t understand,” James spluttered.  
  
Dorothy reached across the table and grabbed his hand tightly in her own. “You and me?” she began forcing a watery smile. “We don’t work. We won’t last. We’re not meant to be. I feel that, deep in my gut. Don’t you?”  
  
James wanted to say No, of course I don’t. But looking at her sad expression, he knew he couldn’t protect her from what he was feeling. “You deserve the truth from me after...everything,” he said, sighing deeply. “I do.”  
  
Dorothy nodded. “Then we shouldn’t be together. You’re in love with Hope, and that’s beautiful. I know that will never happen between us.” Dorothy paused for a moment, staring deeply into James’s eyes. “You should be with her.”  
  
“Dorothy--”  
  
“It’s okay,” Dorothy said quickly. “I want you to be happy. And I know she’ll make you happy.”  
  
James stared at her, sighing in relief as what felt like a weight was lifted from his chest. “I--thank you.”  
  
Dorothy nodded. “You’re welcome.”  
  
“I do love you,” James said softly. “Just--”  
  
“Not the way you love her, I know,” Dorothy said with a nod. “I love you, too. But I want more...I want what you feel with Hope.”  
  
James nodded, staring at her intensely. “You deserve it more than anyone.”  
  
Dorothy stood, leaned across the table, and kissed James’s cheek. She then turned and left the cafe without another word.  
  
***  
  
Hope and Fiona were racing to Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes to find Freddie, the holder of Fiona’s sixth clue. “You did what?” Hope demanded, chasing after her best friend.  
  
“It was an accident! It’s not like I meant for Fred to be walking on that side of the corridor, it was really just wrong place wrong time!”  
  
“But he got eaten by a suit of armour!”  
  
“Be less appalled and more amazed that I pulled that off as a fourth year!”  
  
The two girls reached the joke shop and hurried inside, knowing that Freddie had picked up an extra shift. “Where’s he working?” Hope asked.  
  
“I don’t know,” Fiona shot back. “We’re friends, I’m not his keeper!”  
  
“Can I help you bints find something?” a snarky Fred Weasley asked from behind them.  
  
Fiona turned to him with a grin. “Oh, Weasley, just the armour chow I wanted to see.”  
  
Fred visibly paled. “That’s still not funny.”  
  
Fiona smirked. “It’s hysterical. Clue please?”  
  
“The please was a nice touch,” Freddie admitted as he handed over his clue and box.  
  
“Yes!” Fiona cried. “More chocolate!”  
  
“He figured you’d be the most appreciative of food,” Freddie said with a snort.  
  
“Shouldn’t you be working or something?” Fiona snapped, waving him away.  
  
“As a matter of fact, it’s almost time for my lunch break.”  
  
“Lunch?” Hope asked quickly. “What time is it?”  
  
Freddie checked his watch. “Almost one, why?”  
  
“Shite!” she cursed. “I’m going to be late meeting Lester, have fun with Louis, Fiona! Try not to hurt small children, Fred!” she called as she ran out the door.  
  
Fiona smirked up at Freddie. “You got the small children warning, not me.”  
  
Freddie glared at her. “There’s a first time for everything. Aren’t you going to open the clue?”  
  
“Right!” Fiona said, tearing open the envelope. “Merlin, he is the trolliest of trolls, six clues for the almost six months we’ve been together? That’s cheesy, even for him.”  
  
“Does it rhyme?” Freddie asked, peering over her shoulder.  
  
“Of course it rhymes, it’s Louis,” Fiona said, folding the clue and slipping it in her pocket with the others.  
  
“Hey, I didn’t get to read it!”  
  
Fiona leaned up and pecked his cheek. “You’ll live. Thanks for the clue, Weasley!” she said as she made her way out of the shop. Over her shoulder she called, “Happy Valentine’s!”  
  
***  
  
Louis was pacing anxiously inside the Shrieking Shack, waiting for Fiona to arrive. He pulled nervously at his tie, hoping that he hadn’t gone too far overboard. He just loved to see her smile, especially when he was the cause.  
  
He heard someone crawling through the makeshift entrance of the shack and stopped pacing just in time to see Fiona appear inside, looking more beautiful than he’d ever seen her. Before she could even take in the candlelit table spread, the scattered rose petals, or even the scavenger hunt that had brought her here to him, Louis had strode confidently across the room and taken her up in his arms, capturing her lips with his own.  
  
After what seemed like many minutes or several days, the two separated, both breathless. “Hi,” Fiona said, grinning stupidly at him.  
  
“Hi,” he replied, the same giddy expression present on his features.  
  
“You know that I don’t need all this stuff, right?” she said, placing her hand on his chest. “I just want you.”  
  
Louis covered her hand with his. “I know.” He began leading her back to the table and pulled out her chair. “But you know how I like to make grand gestures.”  
  
She sat graciously, with a smirk on her face. “I know.”  
  
***  
  
Hope burst into the Three Broomsticks, hopelessly late for her meeting with Lester. The first thing she laid eyes on, however, showed her that her perpetual tardiness didn’t even matter because his tongue was down some blonde's throat.  
  
Hope walked over to their booth and cleared her throat. The two broke apart, and Lester’s face paled when he saw Hope standing there.  
  
“H-Hope!” he stuttered.  
  
“Sorry I’m late, Les, hope you didn’t mind waiting for me,” Hope snapped. “She must’ve made those twenty minutes bearable for you!”  
  
“Amelia and I--she means nothing--”  
  
“Wait,” Hope said, putting her hand up to silence him. “Amelia?” She looked more closely at the the blonde. “Aren’t you Amelia Pickett?”  
  
“Yeah, so?” the girl retorted.  
  
Hope placed her hands on her hips. “Aren’t you dating my Beater, Kyle Reed?”  
  
Amelia’s cheeks reddened. “I was, but I chucked him this morning. Never paid attention to me since he got on the Quidditch team.”  
  
Hope looked from Lester to Amelia, disgust filling her. “You two deserve each other,” she said, spinning on her heel and storming from the pub.  
  
As Hope walked down the main street of the town, she racked her brain, trying to remember if Kyle had mentioned any plans he had made for Valentine’s Day with Amelia. Maybe she could find him and neither one of them would be alone.  
  
Not paying attention, she walked straight into someone. “Oh, Merlin, I’m so sorry!” she said, automatically, reaching out to stabilize herself and her victim.  
  
“Hope?”  
  
“Oh, hello, James!” she said. “Where’s Dora?”  
  
“Aren’t you supposed to be out with MacKnowles?” James retorted.  
  
Hope rolled her eyes. “You were right, he’s a prick. I was twenty minutes late, and he passed the time by snogging my Beater’s ex of less than three hours. Have you seen Kyle?”  
  
“No, I haven’t. Want me to go beat up MacKnowles? I’ll have him in the Hospital Wing until next month for hurting you.”  
  
Hope rolled her eyes. “There you go, being all heroic again. I’m fine, I’m not a damsel in distress, there’s no dragon to slay here. You Gryffindors are so much work.”  
  
“I just don’t like it when people upset you.”  
  
“I promise,” Hope said, laying her hand on James’s chest. “I am not upset.”  
  
James was afraid she could feel his heart pounding beneath her palm. “Okay.”  
  
“Now, where’s Dora?”  
  
“Back at the castle, maybe. I don’t really know.”  
  
Hope’s hand dropped from James’s chest. “What did you do,” she demanded in a low, dangerous voice.  
  
“Oi, I didn’t do anything!” James shot back. “She chucked me.”  
  
Hope blinked. “She broke up with you?”  
  
“Err, yes.”  
  
Hope wrapped her arms tightly around him. “Oh, hell! I’m so sorry! Are you okay?”  
  
James hugged Hope back, revelling in how wonderful she felt pressed against him. “Yeah, I’m okay.”  
  
Releasing him, Hope asked, “What happened? I mean, I knew you two were having problems, but I never thought she’d end it!”  
  
“We agreed that we weren’t, uh, it. That there was more out there,” James said.  
  
“More out there?” Hope asked. “That makes no sense.”  
  
“More, like, feelings more.”  
  
Hope looked at him blankly. “Please speak English.”  
  
James paused momentarily, trying to figure out what to say. He then looked Hope straight in the eye and then said, “Dorothy ended our relationship because of you.”  
  
Hope took a step back. “What?” she hissed.  
  
James stepped towards her. “Uh, well,” he began, rubbing awkwardly at the back of his neck. “I’m kind of in love with you. Apparently. Like...a lot. Dorothy said that she didn’t want to stand in the way of whatever we have--”  
  
“What are you going on about?” Hope demanded.  
  
“It’s a new realization for me too!” he said quickly. “I didn’t mean it. That’s a lie, I totally mean it, because I can’t think around when I’m around you but I mean I didn’t mean to fall in love with you.”  
  
“We have nothing, James Potter,” Hope snapped, raising her hand to keep him away from her. “You are my best friend’s ex boyfriend! She loves you. You and me can never happen. End of story.”  
  
“Hope, please--” James said, reaching for her, but Hope shook him off.  
  
“Stop it! Stop it right there,” she demanded. “I can never think of you as anything more than a friend. You, as Dorothy’s ex, are off-limits. Do you understand?”  
  
“No!” James shouted. “No, I don’t bloody understand! Did you miss the whole ‘in love with you’ thing? So much that it hurts to breathe! You are all I think about all day and all night. There is no one else for me, Hope, you--”  
  
“Don’t say it,” Hope hissed, backing away from him again.  
  
“You are it for me,” he declared, closing the space between them and grabbing her face in his large hands as he planted his lips firmly on hers.  
  
The moment ended with a painful smack against the side of James’s face. Hope stood a few feet before him, chest heaving. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes. “Hope--”  
  
"No," she said firmly. "Just...no." The tears rolled down her cheeks as she turned from him and sprinted back towards the castle. She could feel James's gaze following her until she was out of sight.


	27. I Just Don't Have a Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Why can't I just lay here?!"
> 
> "Locking yourself in a fourposter is pathetic, Dora!"

Lily Potter was perched on top of the back of the couch in the Gryffindor common room, laughing with her cousins Rose and Roxanne, and her best friend, Carley. A lot of people who didn’t really know the Weasley-Potter clan tossed Carley in as one of the cousins, and she looked enough like most of the other girls for it to make sense. She had nearly the same color orange hair, pale skin, and lanky body. However, it became clear that Carley’s similarities to the family ended with looks, for she cared much more about her school work and following the rules than Quidditch and making a ruckus. Whenever Lily would drag her along on an “adventure,” Carley made sure to remind her just how many school rules they were breaking.  
  
  
That is, unless Albus was around.  
  
The portrait hole opened, unnoticed to all the girls but Carley, who had stopped mid sentence with her eyes glued to a very upset Al Potter making his way through the common room.  
  
“Oi, Carls,” Lily said, kicking her friend’s thigh lightly. “Can you stop perving on my brother?”  
  
Carley jumped, blushing violently and Rose and Roxanne burst into laughter at the girl’s discomfort. “I wasn’t perving!”  
  
“Oh, please, there’s practically drool dripping from your lip,” Rose said, tossing a wave of red curls over her shoulder. “You should really just tell him you like him.”  
  
“I don’t--he’s not--” Carley spluttered, her blush intensifying. “He looks upset! I am merely concerned for his well-being--”  
  
“You’re just concerned that he’s alone on Valentine’s Day when you are a perfectly viable option,” Roxanne teased.  
  
“I am not a ‘perfectly viable option,’” Carley shot back. “I’m his little sister’s best friend.”  
  
“His little sister’s annoying best friend,” Lily corrected.  
  
Carley’s face paled instantly. “He thinks I’m annoying?”  
  
Lily, Rose, and Roxanne all burst into laughter. “Honey, you’re a fourth year and are friends with Lily, of course he thinks you’re annoying,” Rose said, wiping fake tears from her eyes.  
  
“It’s not funny!” Carley protested, hastily tucking a strand of her copper hair behind her ear.  
  
“Oi, what’s so funny over here?” Albus asked, coming up behind Rose and placing his hands on her shoulders.  
  
“Oh, just something Daniels said,” Rose replied, winking at the girl as she blushed uncontrollably. “Hens thing though, you wouldn’t understand.”  
  
“Ah,” Al said, running a hand through his already messy mop of black hair. “You all have a good Hen’s Day?”  
  
“Anti-Valentine’s,” Lily corrected smugly. “We’ve not got the time or patience for any of that Puddifoot’s bollocks.”  
  
“Or none of you got dates so you expressed your disappointment through anger,” Albus shot back with a smirk.  
  
“Oi,” Rose said warningly, smacking Albus in the stomach.  
  
“Didn’t see you with a date today, Albus,” Carley pointed out, hoping she sounded more sassy than pathetic.  
  
Albus looked at the girl, surprise evident on his face. “Oh, someone’s confident today,” Roxanne said with a grin, shoving the girl slightly.  
  
“I had...plans,” Albus said, his gaze lingering on Carley for a moment. For as long as Lily had been friends with the girl, she’d never said much more to him than “Hello, Albus” before running off after his little sister and her crazy plans.  
  
“Oh, please share with the group Albus,” Rose said, gesturing to the group of girls.  
  
“I was,” Albus began, cutting off as he cleared his throat due to his discomfort. “I was going to woo Gretchen Anthony.”  
  
“First of all, you just used the word ‘woo’ seriously,” Rose said, counting off on her fingers. “Second, Gretchen Anthony is gay. Our Valentine’s was exponentially better than yours.”  
  
“Now, you wa--”  
  
“Ex-po-nentially,” Rose reiterated, cutting off her desperate best friend. “Why didn’t you come to me before you did this? I could’ve told you Gretchen was gay.”  
  
“Yeah, apparently the whole bloody school could’ve,” Albus grumbled.  
  
“Well, she has been seeing Clara Robbins since Christmas,” Carley pointed out quietly. The whole group stared at her in silence. “What?” she asked quickly, tucking more hair behind her ear. “Just because I don’t gossip doesn’t mean I don’t have ears.”  
  
The portrait hole swung open again, this time inviting in the eldest of the Potters, sporting a rather ugly welt on the side of his face. “Oi, James,” Albus called. “What the hell happened to you?”  
  
James looked up and scowled at his brother. “Dorothy broke up with me and I kissed Hope Jacobs, I am not in the mood, Albus!” he snapped as he quickly made his way through the common room and disappeared up in the dormitories.  
  
Albus, Rose, Roxanne, Lily, and Carley all stared after where James had disappeared. “Now he definitely had the worst Valentine’s Day,” Rose said unceremoniously.  
  
***  
  
The door to the Hufflepuff Seventh Year Girls’ dormitory burst open, followed by a frantic looking Hope Jacobs leaping through the opening. Dorothy looked up from where she was lounging on her bed, a copy of the latest Witch Weekly open in her lap. “Hope?” she asked, sounding surprised.  
  
“I have been looking,” Hope wheezed as she bent at the waist, extremely out of breath, “all over for you.”  
  
Dorothy closed her magazine and swung her legs around so they dangled off the side of her bed. “Shouldn’t you be out with Lester?”  
  
“Ugh, no,” Hope said as she strode across the room to Dorothy’s four poster and laid on her back beside her best friend. “I was late for our date, and I found him passing the time with his tongue down Amelia Pickett’s throat.”  
  
“You’re kidding!” Dorothy said as she laid back down beside Hope. “I’m so sorry!”  
  
“Eh, I only liked him for his hair anyway,” Hope said, shrugging her shoulders.  
  
“Wait, isn’t Amelia Pickett dating Kyle?” Dorothy asked.  
  
“She was,” Hope said venomously. “Don’t even get me started on that twit. Anyway,” Hope turned her head towards Dorothy. “I, uh, bumped into James in the village. Are...are you okay?”  
  
Dorothy felt her stomach drop. Her fingers began to toy with the edge of the magazine beside her. “Uh, yeah. I’m fine.”  
  
Hope rolled onto her side. “Dora. You’ve been in love with James Potter since before you knew what love was. It’s okay to be not okay.”  
  
Dorothy looked straight up at the ceiling, wishing she could talk to Hope about what was going on. But not only was Hope at the base of her problems, Dorothy had never been good at talking about her emotions. “You said you ran into James?” Dorothy said finally. “Did he, uh, say anything to you about what happened?”  
  
Dorothy ended our relationship because of you.  
  
“No,” Hope said firmly. “No, he said you ended things, so I ran off to find you.”  
  
Dorothy nodded. There was a heavy silence between the two girls, broken moments later by the quiet rip of paper and a muffled curse from Dorothy.  
  
Hope peered over her friend to see what she’d been playing with and snorted at the sight of Witch Weekly. “You read that garbage?”  
  
“Garbage?” Dorothy exclaimed. “It’s your subscription!”  
  
“I get it for free because my mom’s the fashion editor, you know that,” Hope said, rolling her eyes. “Not to mention, it makes me laugh.”  
  
“I’m sorry, do you not consider finding out which of the Golden Trio you should marry an important piece of news?” Dorothy joked, referencing the special Valentine’s Day quiz on the cover.  
  
“Oh, please. I already know I should marry Harry,” Hope said with a wink. “The path of Ginny Potter is always the correct choice to follow.”  
  
Dorothy laughed loudly. “How dare I be so silly to question you.”  
  
“Let’s find out yours!” Hope said excitedly, snatching the magazine from Dorothy’s hands and flipping it open to the quiz page. “First question,” she began. “If you had recently broken up with your boyfriend, would you want to: a, talk it out with a ginger haired confidant, b, cry by yourself in bed, or c, take a Witch Weekly quiz and completely ignore your emotions?”  
  
Dorothy looked over at Hope, who had a sort of concerned look beneath the teasing glint in her eye. “Hope,” she said, rolling her eyes.  
  
“Hey, it’s written right here on the page,” Hope said, her grin not quite reaching her eyes.  
  
“Fine,” Dorothy said with a sigh. “Let’s go with c.” She watched as Hope nodded with understanding.  
  
“Alrighty then, someone’s definitely not marrying Ron Weasley,” Hope teased, shooting Dorothy a reassuring smile.  
  
***  
  
“What if they’ve woken up?” Fiona asked Louis as he walked her back to the Hufflepuff Common Room the next morning.  
  
“Love, it’s a Sunday,” Louis reminded her, pulling her closer so he could wrap an arm around her shoulders.  
  
“So?” Fiona said. “I will never hear the end of it if they catch me being out all night.”  
  
Louis smirked. “You didn’t seem to mind then.”  
  
“Of course I didn’t mind then, you troll, I was distracted.”  
  
Louis laughed. “It’ll be fine, Fi.”  
  
“Aren’t you going to get in trouble for being in the castle?”  
  
Louis shrugged. “I’m not entirely sure. I was inside during December’s Hogsmeade trip.”  
  
“I remember,” Fiona said, torn between irritation and fondness at the memory.  
  
Louis rolled his eyes. “Anyway, what are they going to do, expel me?”  
  
Fiona chuckled. “I just don’t want you to get in trouble.”  
  
“I won’t,” he reassured her.  
  
They approached the entrance to Hufflepuff and Fiona tapped the barrel, revealing the passage inside. “Come on,” she said, leading the way.  
  
Louis crawled in behind her and chuckled. “I like this entrance.”  
  
“You just like my bum in your face.”  
  
“I do,” he said, and Fiona could practically hear the cheeky grin on his face.  
  
They entered the common room and Louis wrapped his arms around her from behind, planting a loud kiss on her cheek. “You disgust me,” Fiona said laughing as she pulled out of his embrace. “Come on, my room’s over--”  
  
“There you are!” Hope said loudly.  
  
Fiona cursed. “Morning?”  
  
“Hi, Louis,” Hope said, wiggling her fingers at him. He grinned. “Are you two just getting in now?”  
  
“What?” Fiona asked, chuckling nervously. “No, of course not!”  
  
“Fiona,” Hope said dangerously.  
  
“Maybe?” she squeaked.  
  
“You are such a slag,” Hope said laughing.  
  
Fiona pouted. “He’s just very persuasive!”  
  
“From what I remember, it was your idea--”  
  
Fiona cut him off with a sharp elbow in his gut. “He’s senile.”  
  
Hope laughed again and rolled her eyes. “Just come to breakfast with me, would you?”  
  
“I kind of wanted to take a nap--”  
  
“This wasn’t up for discussion.”  
  
“Yes, ma’am, come along, Lou.”  
  
***  
  
The three of them sat at the Hufflepuff table in the Great Hall, Fiona eating potatoes off of Louis's plate while his hand rose dangerously high on her thigh and Hope tried to avoid looking at them in order to keep her appetite. "You two are unbearable to be around," Hope grumbled, stabbing violently at her pile of eggs as she tried to ignore the temptation to turn and see if James was sitting at the Gryffindor table.  
  
"Oh, bugger off, Hopie," Fiona shot back, grinning as she popped another one of Louis's potatoes in her mouth.  
  
"You have a stack of perfectly good potatoes on your own plate," Louis snapped as he shot Fiona a glare.  
  
Fiona smiled sweetly at him. "Yours taste better."  
  
"Bloody hell," Hope groaned.  
  
"What happened with that guy you were meeting anyway?" Fiona asked, swatting at Louis's hand as he went to steal potatoes off of her plate. "Lester MacKnowles probably is a wonderful breakfast date."  
  
"Yeah, he's also wonderful at snogging other girls before dates," Hope informed her bitterly.  
  
Fiona's eyes widened. "I'll kill him."  
  
Hope rolled her eyes. "I'm unconcerned about him. The girl pissed me off more."  
  
"Why?" Louis asked through a mouthful of toast.  
  
Hope made a face, but answered, "It was Amelia Pickett."  
  
Fiona dropped her fork. "You don't mean Reed's Amelia Pickett."  
  
Hope nodded as she popped a blueberry in her mouth. "The one and only."  
  
"Those two slags shall be slayed," Fiona growled.  
  
"Slay them later," Louis said, patting his girlfriend's knee affectionately.  
  
"I have a lot of things to do, Weasley, and slaying always comes first," she shot back.  
  
"Even when I'm on that list?"  
  
Fiona bit her lip. "I despise you." She leaned forward and pecked his lips. "I'll wait until you leave to slay."  
  
Louis grinned. "That's my girl."  
  
Hope stared at them incredulously. "I haven't decided whether that was frightening or adorable."  
  
"Oi, where's Longbottom?" Fiona asked, ignoring Hope's comment. "I sort of assumed we were meeting her down here. Is she eating with Potter?"  
  
"Oh, Merlin, you don't know," Hope said as she pulled a face.  
  
"What?" Fiona said seriously. "Is my slay list growing?"  
  
"No," Hope said slightly too quickly. Fiona ignored her enthusiasm, so Hope continued. "Dora broke up with him yesterday."  
  
Fiona's jaw dropped. "She chucked him?"  
  
"Yeah," Hope replied. "She's down in the dormitory, I figured I'd let her sleep."  
  
"Is she okay?" Fiona demanded, rising from the table. “Why are we here? We need chocolate and cookies and,” Fiona continued listing of snacks as she piled a heaping amount of french toast on her plate and stood fully from the bench. “What are those little things she always likes so much?”  
  
“Fi, breathe,” Hope said, laughing. “We broke into your of Honeydukes chocolate last night and talked, she’s going to be fine. I promise.”  
  
Fiona stared blankly at Hope, as if not fully understanding the idea that Dorothy’s mourning didn’t require endless amounts of food. “Sit down, babe,” Louis said, tugging gently on her hand. “Hopie took care of Thee.”  
  
Hope turned a nasty glare on Louis. “Hopie?”  
  
He smirked at her, standing from his own seat. “It’ll grow on you, Jacobs.” Louis leaned forward and pressed a firm kiss to Fiona’s lips, then lightly shoved her back onto the bench. “I’m going to go see if James is over at the Gryffindor table. You know, family duties.”  
  
Fiona nodded and picked up the top piece of french toast in her hand, then took a large bite out of the corner. “I can’t believe she chucked him.”  
  
Hope laughed nervously. “Yeah, me neither.”  
  
Across the hall, Louis approached the part of the Gryffindor table where most of his family was sitting. “Done slumming it with the Puffs, Lou?” Lily teased as he reached them.  
  
“I happen to enjoy their company,” he responded with a playful scowl. “Where’s your brother?”  
  
“Which one?” Lily asked. “Dumb or dumber?”  
  
“Dumber,” Louis responded.  
  
Lily shrugged. “Haven’t seen James all morning.”  
  
“What’re you looking for James for?” Freddie asked, who had been sitting a few seats down from Lily and listened in on the conversation.  
  
“You haven’t heard?” Fred asked. “Thee chucked him yesterday. Wanted to see if he was alright.”  
  
Freddie blinked in surprise. “She...chucked him?”  
  
“Yeah,” James said, having just entered breakfast in time to hear the end of what they were talking about. Louis turned to his cousin quickly, a mix of guilt and concern on his face. James shrugged. “I’m fine. We were better as friends.” James sat down across from Lily and reached for two slices of toast. “Pass the jam?” James made a conscious effort not to look over at Freddie.  
  
Louis looked over at Freddie, who quickly looked away. Shrugging, he reached over James’s shoulder and snagged a piece of bacon. “Later, fam.”  
  
“House traitor!” Lily cried after him. Louis shot her a grin over his shoulder.  
  
***  
  
Dorothy could hear Hope and Fiona muttering to each other outside the protective barrier of the curtains on her four poster and sighed, rolling over in bed. They’d been standing just outside her safe haven for quite a while now, having returned to the dormitory from breakfast and seeing that Dorothy had cast multiple protective charms around her bed to keep them out--and herself in.  
  
“We can’t just blast it open, Fi, don’t be daft,” Hope scolded.  
  
“You were the one who said she was alright!” Fiona shot back.  
  
“You’re the one who always says wallowing is healthy!”  
  
“Since when do you agree with that sentiment?” Fiona retorted. “Anyway, is it really even wallowing if there’s no food involved?”  
  
Hope groaned. “You are hopeless.”  
  
“If only,” Fiona grumbled beneath her breath. There was a loud smack, followed by a harsh curse and Fiona hissing, “Take a joke, would you?”  
  
“Maybe we should just give her time?” Hope suggested.  
  
There was a pause, and Dorothy could practically see the look on Fiona’s face. “What?” Hope asked. “We can’t force her to talk to us!”  
  
Fiona scoffed. “You can’t force her to talk to us, I am more than capable--”  
  
“We won’t force her to talk to us,” Hope corrected. “Come on, I need to go see Drummand. If she’s not out by dinner, then you can have free reign.” Hope paused before saying, “You hear that, Dora? I know you’re listening!”  
  
Dorothy cursed quietly under her breath before responding, “Okay.”  
  
“That’s my girl,” Hope responded happily. “You know where Fi’s chocolate stash is if you need it, we’ll be back later!”  
  
“I never should’ve shown you where I hide my chocolate.”  
  
***  
  
“Hey there, big brother,” Roxanne said, flopping down onto the plush sofa in the Gryffindor common room beside Fred. “How’s it going?”  
  
Freddie looked at Roxanne curiously before answering. “Fine,” he said hesitantly. “How are you?”  
  
“Splendid,” Roxanne replied, grinning at him. “David took me on a lovely date yesterday through Hogsmeade and we had a three inch space cushion between our whole bodies for the entire afternoon.”  
  
Freddie snorted. “If only.”  
  
Roxanne smirked. “How was your Valentine’s?” she asked.  
  
“Fine,” Freddie replied gruffly. “I picked up a floor shift and then did some office hours.”  
  
“Sell lots of love potions?”  
  
Freddie laughed. “Too many.” He looked at his little sister curiously. “What do you want, Rox?”  
  
“Why do I have to want something?” she asked, sighing. Freddie shot her a look. “Alright, I want something,” she said quickly. “I want to know what your plan is.”  
  
“My plan?”  
  
“Yes, Fred, your plan.”  
  
“About what?”  
  
“You legitimately have dung for brains,” Roxanne groaned. “Now that James and Thee have broken up, what are you going to do?”  
  
“I dunno,” Freddie answered, picking at the cushion beneath him. “Nothing out of the ordinary.”  
  
“You are useless!” Roxanne exclaimed. “The girl of your dreams just dumped your best mate, there are conversations to be had, moves to be made!”  
  
“Rox, you’ve been reading way too many of mum’s romance novels,” Freddie said standing up from the couch. “Nothing’s changed. Dor isn’t the girl of my dreams and James isn’t my best mate, nothing is going to happen. So you tell Al and Hugo to hop off whatever destiny love boat they’re sailing on and move on, okay?”  
  
Roxanne snorted. “Trust me, Fred, those boys will go down with that ship. And honestly, so will you.” She stood from the couch and stretched, then looked back at Freddie. “Seriously though, don’t let your pride keep you from putting your life back together. You’re such a mule sometimes.”  
  
***  
  
“Why can’t I just lay here?!” Dorothy shouted, pulling a pillow over her face as Hope and Fiona tried to break through the protective spells she placed around her bed.  
  
“Locking yourself in a four poster is pathetic, Dora!” Hope responded angrily. “You are not pathetic!”  
  
“Maybe I want to be pathetic!” Dorothy shrieked, her voice muffled by the pillow over her face.  
  
“Longbottom,” Fiona said, her voice softer and more calm than Hope’s. “You need to let us in. You don’t have to come out.”  
  
Dorothy removed the pillow from her face. “I don’t?”  
  
“Of course not,” Fiona said. “Hell, you don’t even have to go to classes tomorrow if you don’t want.”  
  
“Fi!” Hope cried indignantly.  
  
“What?” Fiona responded. “It’s the first day after Valentine’s, do you realize how many people will be skipping because of a breakup or,” Fiona looked directly at Hope as she said this, “a failed date?”  
  
“You are a horrid bitch,” Hope said, shaking her head at Fiona.  
  
Dorothy took down the spells around her bed and poked her head out of the curtains to look at Hope and Fiona. “Hope, would you please skip tomorrow with me? I just need one day without having to run into him in the corridor and in class and then I’ll be fine, I promise. We can do whatever you want.”  
  
Hope smirked. “Anything I want?”  
  
Dorothy’s face paled slightly. “Uh, sure?”  
  
“Brilliant!” Hope said, diving onto Dorothy’s bed before she could ward it again with a grin. “As if I really need a reason to skip class. Fiona will obviously be joining us, and we may want to think about taking Kyle out…”  
  
“What do you mean I’ll be joining you?” Fiona said as she clambered inside Dorothy’s fourposter. “I’m happy and in love and just got--”  
  
“Going anyway,” Hope silenced her.  
  
“But it’s Dumped Ditch Day,” Fiona pressed. “Sexaully satisfied people don’t skive off class on Dumped Ditch Day.” Fiona grinned at Hope momentarily. “Did I tell you about last night?”  
  
Hope shot a glare at Fiona. “I don’t care. Everyone saw Lou at breakfast, no one’s going to think you were dumped.”  
  
“You don’t care about my immense happiness and blossoming sex life?”  
  
“Not today, you weirdo.” Hope sighed and looked at Dorothy. “We are going to have a great day, and we get to punish Fiona for being happy by holding all of our shopping bags.”  
  
“Shopping?” Dorothy asked. “We were in Hogsmeade literally yesterday.”  
  
Hope scoffed. “We’re not shopping in Hogsmeade!” Dorothy looked concerned. “Don’t worry about anything, Dora, I’ve got it all covered. Now,” Hope said, stretching her legs out along the edge of Dorothy’s mattress. “If the three of us are going to be staying in this bed for the rest of the night, I motion we send Fiona to the kitchen for food.”  
  
“Why me?” Fiona groaned. “You have legs.”  
  
“I’m sorry, but ‘sexually satisfied’ people don’t need to gorge on food and lay in bed all night, do they?”  
  
“Sometimes we do,” Fiona countered, smirking. “But we’re usually naked, with our stud of choice.”  
  
“Out!” Hope cried, pushing Fiona from the bed as Dorothy laughed along. “You’d best bring trifle back, you happy harlot!”  
  
Laughing, Fiona left the room.


	28. I Just Want a Distraction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "One, two, three; one, two, three, drink..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song is "Chandelier" by Sia, but you probably knew that.

"Up!" Hope shouted, jolting Dorothy out of a wonderfully happy sleep. Dorothy looked at the beaming red head through heavy lidded eyes in confusion. It couldn't be more than—  
  
  
"Get your arse back in bed now," Fiona threatened, rolling over. "It's not even ten yet."  
  
"Nope!" Hope responded cheerfully back. "We've got lots of things to do and no where near enough time to do it, so," she walked over to the end of Fiona's bed and began tugging on her duvet, "get out of bed!" The duvet flew off Fiona's body as Hope let out a large grunt of effort. Fiona chucked her pillow as hard as she could at Hope and curled up in a tighter ball.  
  
"Fiona!" Hope cried, slamming the offending pillow down hard on her best friend. Fiona merely let out a warning growl. Hope turned to Dorothy, who was watching the exchange with an amused expression. "Dora, a little help here?"  
  
"Oh, absolutely not," Dorothy said quickly. "Isn't the whole point of skivving off class getting to sleep in?"  
  
Hope's jaw dropped. "I did let you sleep in! I've been up for almost an hour!"  
  
Fiona's head surfaced from her mattress as she looked inquisitively over at Hope. "Are you wearing heels right now?"  
  
“Of course I’m wearing heels, you dung beetle,” Hope snapped. “Let’s go, you mourned yesterday, today is the day to get your arses up and move on!”  
  
Dorothy groaned. “Hope…”  
  
“Absolutely not.” Hope walked over to Dorothy, grabbed her ankle and yanked her swiftly out of bed. Fiona laughed loudly as Dorothy landed in a heap on the floor. “See, I could’ve done that yesterday, but I didn’t. You promised me today, and I promised to make you feel better. Now get in the shower and I’ll think about being nice when I pick out your clothes.”  
  
Dorothy, who was rubbing her now throbbing bum, glared at Hope as she rose to her feet. “Fine,” she hissed, disappearing into the bathroom.  
  
Hope then turned to Fiona, who was still curled up in her sheets in bed. Fiona cocked a challenging eyebrow at her best friend. Hope smirked back. “Oh, please,” Fiona said. “I’d like to see you try.”  
  
***  
  
Down in the Great Hall, Freddie entered for breakfast. He told himself not to look over at the Hufflepuff table. He didn't want to know if she was here. He didn't care.  
  
He looked anyway.  
  
Frowning as he couldn't see her shining blonde hair, he slumped into a seat at the Gryffindor table next to Rose. She grunted at him in acknowledgement. Freddie loaded up his plate and began eating, comforted by the fact that his smart aleck cousin wasn't going to bother him in her state of exhaustion.  
  
Across from them however, Freddie's peaceful breakfast oasis was rudely ended as Lily, Carley, and Roxanne slid into the open spots. "Morning, fam," Lily said cheerily, reaching for a waffle.  
  
Rose looked up and glared at Fred. Freddie raised his eyebrows in surprise. "What? I've been perfectly silent."  
  
"You've brought them here," Rose grumbled.  
  
"That's because he's not done anything yet," Roxanne said.  
  
Rose turned to Roxanne. "What are you going on about?"  
  
"Since Thee and James broke up," Lily supplied.  
  
Rose turned back to  Freddie, a dangerous look on her face. "He must at least have a plan to stop being such an obnoxious moron."  
  
Freddie rolled his eyes and stood from the table. "Yes, it's called getting adopted and out of this bloody crazy family." He reached forward and snatched an orange from the table. "See you later."  
  
As Freddie stalked off, Rose sighed and turned back to her younger cousins and Carley. "Do we know if James at least talked to Hope yet?"  
  
"Course he hasn't," Albus said, as he slid himself into Freddie's vacated seat. Carley's eyes widened as she quickly snatched a muffin to shove into her mouth so she wouldn't say anything stupid. Rose looked from the younger girl to her best friend and rolled her eyes. Albus, being oblivious as always, continued. "It's James, he has no understanding of destiny. For all we know, he probably shouted his feelings at her and scared her off."  
  
"You've decided his destiny is Hope Jacobs?" Rose asked, cynicism dripping from her voice.  
  
"Course," Albus replied, slathering jam on a piece of toast. "Have you seen them together?"  
  
"I've certainly seen the two of you together," Rose said offhandedly, causing Lily and Roxanne to giggle. Carley felt her cheeks heat with jealousy.   
  
Albus grinned. "I really like that girl."  
  
"So the obvious solution is to set her up with your emotionally stunted older brother," Rose said, rolling her eyes.  
  
Albus nodded. "I don't like her. I just find her very fun. I think she'd be good for James." Carley found herself smiling at this.   
  
"She's never going to go for him," Lily said. "She and Thee are best friends, dating James would break about six different laws of Girl Code."  
  
"Destiny trumps Girl Code!" Albus demanded.  
  
"Probably not," Roxanne teased. Albus rolled his eyes.  
  
"Speaking of destiny, have you figured out your new one?" Rose asked. "And it best not be trying to give Gretchen a second sexual awakening—"  
  
"Shut up, Rose," Albus grumbled.  
  
Rose smirked. "There's plenty of fish in the sea, Potter."  
  
"I hate talking to you about girls."  
  
"It is quite boring, maybe if you stopped chasing after lesbians and actually went for one of the many birds that would love a piece of your arse—"  
  
"Rose!" Lily cried. Carley had never loved her best friend more than in this very moment. "I'm calling the brother card!"  
  
"You have no idea how hard it is to have a man whore for a brother," Roxanne said with a shudder.  
  
"He sure has some good stories though," Rose grinned.  
  
"How about we discuss you and Scorpius Malfoy and how I caught him holding you up against a wall in detention last week?" Albus shot at Rose.  
  
Lily, Carley, and Roxanne's jaws dropped. "What?!"  
  
Rose's eyes widened. "Albus! You swore you'd keep quiet about that!"  
  
"I'm telling you," Albus said with a shrug. "Can't fight destiny."  
  
"Yeah, but I can certainly fight you," Rose threatened. “He’s not my bloody destiny," she muttered, tearing into one of Albus's pieces of toast.   
  
***  
  
When Dorothy entered the dormitory after her shower, Fiona sprinted past her into the bathroom, muttering obscenities beneath her breath. "Put on something presentable!" Hope shouted after her, running her hands down her black lace striped skirt.  
  
"You're a horrid cow!" Fiona shouted back.  
  
Dorothy raised an eyebrow at Hope, who rolled her eyes. "She's a lot of work."  
  
Dorothy chuckled to herself as she made her way over to her dresser. "Oh, no, Longbottom," Hope said quickly. "I've already chosen your clothes, I know you too well to trust you."  
  
Dorothy pulled a face. "I've no way out of this?"  
  
Hope smirked. "Absolutely not."  
  
By the time Fiona emerged from the bathroom, Dorothy was sitting in front of Hope, begrudgingly allowing her to apply bright red lipstick, which matched the flats and accessories Hope had decided on, to her mouth. "Hot pants, Longbottom," Fiona said with a smirk, rolling up the sleeves on her black blazer.  
  
"They're Hope's," Dorothy tried to say, rubbing her hands over the black and white vertical feather patterned leggings.  
  
"Oh, I know," Fiona said with a chuckle. "They’re still hot pants."  
  
"Done!" Hope said excitedly, standing up from where she had been painting Dorothy's face. She looked up at Fiona and frowned. "Absolutely not."  
  
Fiona raised an eyebrow. "What? I'm wearing a blazer!"  
  
"Yeah, and you're also wearing jeans and a tee shirt that says 'A Unicorn Made Me Do It!'," Hope pointed out. "I said presentable!"  
  
"I look perfectly presentable," Fiona said, sliding on her favorite combat boots. "Not a single hole in anything."  
  
“More than I can usually say about you,” Hope muttered.  
  
“Oi,” Fiona said. “They’re Louis’s shirts. And I love them.”  
  
Hope wrinkled her nose. “Unfortunately.” Fiona shot Hope a glare, who rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Whatever. I know I’ll get no better from you. We’re already late.”  
  
Fiona and Dorothy shared a look. “Late for what?” Dorothy asked.  
  
“Seriously, Hopie, this girl's day isn’t starting out very relaxing,” Fiona pointed out.  
  
Hope bit her lip. “It’s not exactly a girl's day, per say…”  
  
Dorothy raised an eyebrow. “It’s not?”  
  
“Well, Kyle got dumped too,” Hope pointed out. “And I felt bad just inviting Kyle, so--”  
  
Fiona snorted. “No way,” she said, running over to the door and poking her head out into the common room. On one of the yellow couches, Greg was laying with his feet over the back and his head dangling upside down off the cushion. Beside him stood Marcus, looking anxiously at a battered watch he’d received from his father on his seventeenth, which had just recently passed. Jesse was perched on the back of the couch, his feet on the cushion next to Greg’s body. Kyle was slumped in one of the armchairs, looking at the ground.  
  
Fiona turned around to face Hope and Dorothy, then said, “The boys are out there.”  
  
“They are?” Dorothy said at the same time Hope replied, “Oh, good.”  
  
Fiona and Dorothy gave Hope confused looks. Hope shrugged. “It’ll be fun. We’ll go out, buy stupidly attractive clubbing outfits, then go party as a team. It’ll be fun.” The looks of confusion turned to doubtful glances. Rolling her eyes, Hope shooed them out of the dormitory saying, “Let’s go, you bints.”  
  
As the three girls appeared in the dormitory, the boys looked over at them. “Oi, you said no tee shirts!” Greg pointed out as they laid eyes on Fiona’s outfit.  
  
“Watch yourself, Layton,” Fiona warned.  
  
Greg’s eyes widened as he flipped himself off the couch, landing gracefully on his feet. “Fi’s a menace and we hate her,” Hope explained. Hope looked at the boys, who were all dressed in various button downs, trousers, and jackets. She grinned. “You all look wonderful.”  
  
“Good,” Jesse said, rubbing the back of his neck. “But was the Howler really necessary this morning, Cap? Nearly made Henry Daniels piss himself and he sleeps right next to me.”  
  
Fiona raised an eyebrow. “You woke them with Howlers?”  
  
“Honestly, you act like it wasn’t a complete stroke of genius.”  
  
“Point.”  
  
***  
  
James walked through the corridor to his next class with his head down. His family was hounding him about whether or not he was alright, and honestly, he didn’t know. He missed the ease of having Dorothy’s hand in his between classes. They’d been broken up for two days, and he was already miserable. He hated being alone more than anything. But if another one of his cousins tried to cheer him up, James was certain he would Avada himself.  
  
James knew that his foul mood was due to more than the absence of the mild tempered blonde he’d thought he loved. He’d had a chance to stay friends with Hope after the break up, and he’d utterly destroyed it. He’d lost count of how many times he’s replayed that memory in his head: the confession, the kiss, the rejection. Everytime the pain surrounding it was a little sharper. And then he’d gone and announced it to his family and Carley? What had he been thinking? James had given up the option to wallow in self loathing by giving them that piece of information.  
  
James turned the corner, his mood worsening as he heard laughter echoing down the corridor he was entering. How could anyone be enjoying today when he was so miserable? He began to mentally berate all of these happy people around him when he ran head first into someone, knocking the stack of parchment he’d been clutching in his hands to scatter across the hallway. He cursed loudly.  
  
“Oh, bugger!” a familiar voice cursed simultaneously. James’s head snapped up instantly, landing on the pretty face of Hope Jacobs. As their eyes met, the excited sparkle in the amber pools faded. “J-James,” she stuttered.  
  
“Hope,” he said quickly. He felt nauseous, which was probably due to the fact his heart had forgotten how to pump blood. “I’m sorry.  
  
“I should’ve been paying attention,” she stammered. “I’ll...I’ll just be going now.”  
  
“Wait!” James said, his voice full of desperation. He reached out and grabbed her wrist, stopping her in her tracks.  
  
Hope looked at him nervously. “What?”  
  
“I--” he began as he ran his free hand through his hair. “I’m sorry.”  
  
“You already said that, but,” Hope pulled her hand from his grasp, “I don’t think you are,” she responded. “You don’t know what to be sorry for, James.”  
  
“I’m sorry for losing your friendship!” he exclaimed. “I--I miss you, Hope.”  
  
Hope shook her head and turned the other way, running back to the other end of the corridor and disappeared around the corner, leaving James and his scattered parchment behind her. He heard in the distance Fiona ask, “Decide against grabbing food?”  
  
“Uh, yeah," Hope responded. "I’ll be fine without it."  
  
Her words echoed down the hall and slammed into his chest. She may be okay without it, but would he?  
  
***  
  
“Cap,” Kyle asked, his voice tired. “Where the bloody hell are we going?”  
  
“Will you lot just trust me?” Hope snapped, growing tired of the grumblings of her group. They’d been walking throughout Muggle London for almost half an hour, and her team had zero patience. “The next person to ask how much longer, where we’re going, or anything of that sort will get the rest of the team to do stairs for the entirety of next practice.”  
  
“That’s just Satanic,” Fiona shot back.  
  
Hope smirked back at her. “Good thing we’re almost there.”  
  
Hope turned down a thin alley between two large, name brand shops and walked all the way down until she reached the chain link fence about halfway down. She pulled out her wand and tapped a pattern in the links, and the team watched in interest as a golden door formed in the center of the metal fence.  
  
“I love magic,” Greg breathed.  
  
Hope grinned as she pulled open the door. “Inside,” she instructed. Hope followed behind her team and smiled. Of her mother’s fashion finds through her job at Witch Weekly, this place had always been Hope’s favorite. It wasn’t the largest of places, but it was packed to the brim with one of a kind pieces for both genders. However, Hope’s mother had never done an article on the place.  
  
“We don’t service students,” a shrill voice called from the counter.  
  
And that was why.  
  
As amazing as the place had been, they’d been in the process of ushering Hope out the door when Hope’s mother had found them. They’d showered the two with apologies, but Hope’s mother wouldn’t have it. Unbeknownst to her, Hope often bought clothes from the store under a false name because she was so violently obsessed with the collection.  
  
“Hope, we should go,” Dorothy said fiercely. “They don’t want us here.”  
  
Hope rolled her eyes. “Oh, Dora, you simpleton.”  She strode towards the counter. “Do you really want to make the same mistake twice?”  
  
The woman behind the counter heaved a heavy sigh, as if to express how much she despised her job. “Look, kid--” she began, looking up. Her words died in her throat as Hope smirked and gave the woman a tinkly wave. “You’re Delilah Jacobs’s daughter, the editor of the fashion section in Witch Weekly.”  
  
Hope let out a soft laugh. “You know, it’s nice to be recognized. Considering how badly you all screwed up last time, I think it’s in your best interest to give me and my mates the best experience possible, probably a good sized discount because we both know your clothes are overpriced, and I’ll see if I can convince my mother to give your little store a second chance. I think that’s a win-win situation, yeah?”  
  
The woman nodded profusely. “Perfect!” Hope said, turning to her friends. “Alright, boys first!”  
  
***  
  
"I feel violated," Kyle groaned from inside the dressing room.  
  
"You'll live," Hope snapped back, her voice echoing out of the dressing rooms as well. "Now put the salmon shirt on with that."  
  
Jesse and Marcus were lounging on one of the plush, curved couches in the waiting area and laughed. They, along with Greg, had already been through the horrible experience of being in the dressing room with Hope throwing clothes at them.  
  
"Just lie back and think of England, Reed!" Jesse called as he pulled absentmindedly on the charcoal blazer Hope had selected for him.  
  
Marcus chuckled as he loosened the brown tie around his neck and flattened it again beneath his new black vest. "It'll be over before you know it," he called.   
  
Hope poked her head out of the dressing room, wearing a bemused glare. "You idiots are not helping."  
  
Fiona was sitting crossed legged on the other round couch beside Dorothy. "This is a new kind of torture and I'm actually a little proud of you, Hopie."  
  
Hope turned her glare on Fiona. "I can't decide whether to thank you or tell you to bugger off."  
  
"Probably both," Dorothy said without even looking up from the magazine in her lap.  
  
"Where's Greg?" Hope asked, looking around.  
  
Marcus shrugged.  
  
"Cap, does it have to be pink?" Kyle said, walking out of the dressing room as he rolled up the sleeves on the button down Hope had selected.  
  
"For the last time, it's salmon, not pink," Hope groaned.  
  
"Oh, no, it's pink," Fiona said, tilting her head to the side. "But I like it. Add some suspenders."  
  
“Suspenders?” Kyle whined, but Hope’s eyes widened.  
  
“Ooh, yes!” she exclaimed. "Go grab some, would you?"  
  
Fiona rolled her eyes but pulled herself up off the couch. "Reed, you've got grey Chucks, right?"  
  
"Yeah," he said.   
  
"Good, wear those," Fiona said as she disappeared in the racks.  
  
"You look good, Kyle," Greg said, appearing out of nowhere as he rejoined the group.   
  
Hope turned to look at him. "Absolutely not," she said, crossing her arms and shooting him a glare.  
  
"What?" Greg asked, confused. He pulled at the sleeves of his navy cardigan.   
  
"Lose the tie," she snapped. "I worked hard on making you look hot, you don't get to ruin it."  
  
Greg pouted, pulling at one side of the bright red bow tie he'd added to his outfit. "But it matches the trousers," he said. "And I like it."  
  
"Come on, Hopie, bow ties are cool," Fiona said with a smirk as she leaped over the back of the couch she'd been sitting on with Dorothy and tossed a pair of suspenders at Kyle.   
  
"You're lying and giving him hope—" Hope began, but Greg cut her off.   
  
"Fiona likes it, I'm keeping it!"  
  
Hope groaned. "Fiona's opinion doesn't matter!"  
  
"Ouch," Fiona said, chuckling. Dorothy rolled her eyes.   
  
Hope sighed, looking at the wide grin on Greg's face as he adjusted the bow tie over the dark blue and white gingham button down. "There's no talking you out of that, is there."  
  
"Nope!" he said, releasing the "p" with a loud pop.   
  
Hope glared at Fiona. "I despise your existence."  
  
"Love you too, Hopie."  
  
Hope stuck her tongue out at Fiona. "You're going first."  
  
"No worries. Already found my dress," Fiona said, flipping her hair. She shot a summoning charm over her shoulder and a dress came flying from a far corner of the shop.  
  
She held it up, and Hope bit her lip. She stared intently at the form fitting piece, her critical gaze raking over the black, gold, and silver waterfall of sequins. She cursed beneath her breath. "You have to at least put it on."  
  
Fiona smirked. "Yes, ma'am."  
  
"Oh, come on," Greg interjected, having just turned from the mirror.  
  
Hope and Fiona shot him a weird look. "What?" Fiona asked.   
  
"Your entire wardrobe cannot be black and yellow!" Greg demanded. "You take Hufflepuff pride way too far!"  
  
Fiona looked from her dress to Greg. "What?"  
  
"I mean, I guess the coloring looks really good against your complexion and the gold often makes the natural highlights in your hair stand out, but you've let your clothing choices become monotonous and it makes me sad."  
  
Fiona blinked, unsure of how to respond. "Uh..."  
  
"Earthy tones would look amazing on you," he continued, frowning.  
  
"My whole wardrobe isn't black and yellow," Fiona said dumbly.   
  
"The tee shirt currently on your body and Louis's old shirts don't count," Greg said, rolling his eyes.  
  
Fiona opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. She looked over at Hope for back up, but she was staring at Greg in the same state of shock Fiona was. An uncomfortable laugh rose from the couch where Marcus, Jesse, and now Kyle were sitting. Dorothy sat on her couch as her eyes shifted rapidly between Fiona and Greg, waiting to see who would break the heavy silence first.  
  
“What?” Greg asked.  
  
“Who are you?” Jesse asked.  
  
Greg sighed. “I have three older sisters. My mum always made me tag along, so I kind of picked some stuff up as a kid.”  
  
Hope grinned. “I like you so much more now!” Fiona stuck her tongue out at Hope as she dipped inside the dressing room. “But really, there’s no hope,” Hope continued to Greg. “I have tried and failed many times to expose Fiona to the multitude of colors in the world and it always ends with something being thrown.”  
  
The door to the dressing room flew open and Fiona stepped out in the dress, her hand twisted in her hair to hold it up off her shoulders and back as she stepped out. “You all just have your knickers in a twist because I look bloody amazing.” She dropped her hair and let it fall in waves around her face. The dress clung to her athletic figure in all the right places. It ended a few inches above her knees and dipped into a deep v between the straps.   
  
Kyle’s hands slapped violently over his eyes. “Stop being hot!” he demanded.  
  
Fiona snorted in laughter. “Oh, sod off, Reed.”  
  
“You really should stop being hot though, it’s not fair to the rest of us,” Dorothy piped up from where she sat.  
  
“Hush up, Longbottom, you’re a gorgeous creature.”  
  
“Is this how girls bond?” Kyle asked Marcus. “Telling each other they’re pretty in a rude way?”  
  
Marcus nodded. “Don’t bother trying to understand, just try to stay out of the crossfire and it’ll hurt less.”  
  
***  
  
"Hope Jacobs, I demand you put this dress on your body this instant!" Greg shouted, pounding on the dressing room door. He was holding a sweetheart neckline navy dress which had a capped sleeve lace overlay and fanned out into a tulle skirt. "Cap!"  
  
"No!" Hope shouted back. "I like this black one!"  
  
"You shouldn't, it's hideous!"  
  
"It is not hideous!"  
  
"Prove it and try mine on!"  
  
Hope opened the dressing room door with a harsh glare and snatched the dress from Greg. "Fine," she snapped.   
  
"Thank god," Jesse groaned, rubbing his temples. "I thought they'd never stop."  
  
"Try being between that," Dorothy commented. After trying on seventeen different dresses, all multiple times, she had been forced to put her foot down between the two bickering fashionistas to let her pick the most conservative of all the dresses offered: a simple, white, spaghetti strap dress that had gold and silver gems embellishing the bodice and a flowy, above the knee length skirt. "I'm still sweating from the stress."  
  
Hope came out of the dressing room with a highly displeased expression. The dress looked absolutely stunning on her. The navy color was perfect against her pale complexion, and simultaneously complimented her luxurious ginger locks. Greg looked at her with a smug smile. "Well?"  
  
Hope looked at Fiona. "I hate Fashion Greg."  
  
"We all hate Fashion Greg," Fiona replied. "And Fashion Hope. We five," Fiona said, gesturing to the sitting members of the team, "hate fashion in general.  
  
"Now," Fiona continued. "You look unbelievable in that dress. Let Fashion Greg take this victory. Let's go buy our new hot clothes, grab a bite, and hit the club. I want to get my drink on."  
  
***  
  
"Alright, well, that's all for today," Neville said, his eyes skimming over the seventh years sitting in his greenhouse. "Don't forget, I need 14 inches on proper harvesting of a mandrake for healing potions by Friday, no extensions!" The students began to pack up their belongings and shrugging on overcoats to head back out into the blustery February day. "Also, take good care of your invasive species projects, a dead plant will result in a failing course mark! Being bitten by your plant is not a valid excuse for letting it die!" As the students began to make their way outside, Neville called, "Oi, Fred, come see me for a moment?"  
  
Fred restrained an exasperated sigh and put his books back down on the table top. Herbology was his final lesson of the day, and he just wanted to get back to the dormitory. "Yes professor?"  
  
"Fred," Neville said awkwardly. "You don't have to call me professor outside of class."  
  
Fred felt instantly uncomfortable. "Uh, right. Course. Sorry. What's up?"  
  
"I was just wondering if you knew why Thee wasn't in class today."  
  
Fred paused for a moment, trying to think of what to say. "Uh, well," he began, trying to stall. He couldn't make eye contact with Neville. The man was practically a second father to him, how could he tell him that he'd ended his friendship with Dorothy almost two months ago?  
  
"I know you two have been...distant," Neville said, his eyes dead set on trying to pick up any hint of what may be going on between his daughter and Fred from Fred's face, but to no avail. "I was just hoping you may have a clue. It's unlike her to skip my class without sending a note first."  
  
Fred sighed, and rubbed the back of his neck. He lifted his head to make eye contact with Neville. "Honestly, I don't know. I haven't seen her all day," Fred said. "I assume she's with Hope and Fiona, they've not been around either."  
  
Neville nodded as he moved behind his desk to stack some parchments to bring back to his office. "Ah," he said. He tapped his stack twice on the desktop to even out the pages before continuing. "Probably to do with her ending her relationship with James?"  
  
Fred bit down hard on the inside of his cheek. He wanted to be anywhere but where he currently was standing. "Presumably."  
  
"Ah, so that rumor is true?" Neville said, a look of concern spreading across his features. "Hugo wasn't sure about the details when we had tea last night."  
  
Fred rolled his eyes. "Hugo is just your eyes and ears, isn't he?"  
  
Neville shrugged. "He's the easiest one of you to get information out of." Neville looked back at Freddie, his eyes hard. "Hasn't been able to tell me anything about you and Thee though."  
  
Fred forced a smile. "Don't worry about it, Uncle Nev. You know how Dor and I are."  
  
"Yeah," Neville said softly. "That's exactly why I am worried."  
  
Fred said nothing in response. The silence weighed heavily between the two of them. "I really need to be going, James is probably in the midst of organizing another emergency Quidditch practice." Fred picked up his books and made his way to the door. "I'll see you later, professor."  
  
Freddie disappeared out the door and Neville sighed, running a hand through his thinning dark hair. "Don't have to call me professor," he mumbled darkly as he sat heavily down in his chair.  
  
No matter what Freddie had said, Neville knew something big was wrong. He just needed to figure out what.  
  
***  
  
"Wand, please." The man in front of the club entrance said in a gruff voice. Dorothy smiled nervously at the bouncer and handed over her wand. The bouncer tapped the wand with his own and then handed it back. "Of age. Enjoy Aeaea."  
  
Dorothy passed the bouncer to enter the club, joining the rest of her team inside the entrance. The lights were low, with flashing colors dancing through scented smoke that was lingering in the air. Music was pounding through the speakers, switching from a wizard pop song to a Muggle one as she joined the cluster of Hufflepuff Quidditch players.   
  
"...then it just appeared on my wrist!" Jesse was explaining to Hope as he pulled at the brightly colored wristband he was wearing.  
  
"It's because you boys are all under age, 'cept for Marcus," Fiona explained. "The club has to be strict because it's so close to Hogsmeade if it wants the school to allow kids to come down."  
  
"It smells amazing in here," Greg said, pulling at the ends of his cardigan.  
  
"They brew Amortentia in the back," Hope said with a grin. "The club’s named after Circe's Island, which is known for bewitching men. Whatever you smell is what you love."  
  
“Do you know any useful information, Cap?” Jesse asked, crossing his arms over his chest.  
  
“Sure!” Hope said, as she smacked him hard in the gut. “Useful enough for you, sweetie?”  
  
Jesse doubled over and Marcus let out a loud laugh, clapping him on the shoulder. “This is why you need abs.”  
  
As Jesse glared at Marcus, Fiona clapped her hands together. “Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, you all are wasting my party time. Let's dance, Reed!" Fiona said with a grin, grabbing Kyle's hand and dragging him onto the dance floor.  
  
Laughing, Kyle ran into the mix of sweaty bodies thrashing along to the music, the other members of the team on their heels. Dorothy hung by the door for a moment, just gazing at the friends she would've never expected to have. For so long, the Hufflepuff Common Room had almost been an escape from her family: she was as invisible as her housemates allowed anyone to be. She only ever needed to worry about a "Hullo, Thee" or sneaking Freddie into her dormitory for a sleepover. Now, she had found a family.  
  
But as she watched her friends dancing in the crowd, she couldn't stop her thoughts from drifting to all the hopes she had carried with her for years about her first Valentine's Day with James. She'd pictured herself so happy she may burst, a feeling she'd never actually felt with James. He'd never made her heart want to beat out of her chest, never made her forget who or where she was, he just had made her nervous. Uncertain. Doubt had never been in the plan, and breaking up with him in the middle of Puddifoot's with glitter exploding in their faces had never even crossed her mind. They'd never made it to happy. Their relationship had been built on deceit and secrets and had probably been destined for failure. However, Dorothy couldn't rid herself of the pain in her chest, the jealousy of Hope, the regret of her choice. She could've avoided this loneliness by just keeping her mouth shut.  
  
"Hey, Dora?" Hope's voice snapped Dorothy out of her thoughts. "You alright?"  
  
Dorothy looked at Hope and said, "How do you do it?"  
  
Hope gave her a funny look. "Do what?"  
  
"This?" Dorothy said. "You go out with anything that asks and put yourself out there over and over again..." Dorothy looked at Hope, who was slightly wincing. "Oh, Merlin, I didn't mean it like that—"  
  
"No, no," Hope said with a slight laugh. "You're right." She sighed and took Dorothy's hand and led her away from the door and closer to the bar in the back. "I think that love is," she paused, looking for the right words. "I think love is the most beautiful thing in the world. And I try to find it with all those guys because I'm always looking for my own happy ending. I just haven't found it yet."  
  
Dorothy didn't reply for a moment. But she knew one thing for certain: she had made the right choice ending things with James.  
  
The song changed again, and Hope gasped in excitement, grabbing a tight hold of Dorothy's arm. "This song!" she said. She leaned over the bar and got the attention of the bartender. "I need eighteen shots of vodka!"  
  
Dorothy's eyes bulged. "What?!"  
  
Hope smirked. "From the highest shelf if you wouldn't mind."  
  
"Hope, are you insane?" Dorothy demanded. "You'll die if you take eighteen shots!"  
  
"I'm only taking six, calm down," Hope said, watching as the bartender began to fill the glasses. "You'll take six, and Fiona will take six. Completely safe."  
  
"No, not really—"  
  
"Hope! Shots!" Fiona shrieked as she sprinted towards the bar.  
  
"Already taken care of," Hope said with a grin as Fiona appeared between Hope and Dorothy, and she threw her arms around her two best friends' shoulders.  
  
"What's going on?" Dorothy asked, laughing at Fiona's excitement.   
  
"This song is me and Hope's power ballad and drinking song. We always scream the lyrics and take shots through it."  
  
Dorothy looked at Hope for clarification. "You take a shot every time she sings 'one, two, three, one, two, three drink.' It's tradition."  
  
"And you sing your heart out for the rest," Fiona said quickly. "Hurry, it's coming!"  
  
The three girls grabbed a hold of their first glasses and laughed, listening intently for their cue. As Sia's emotional melody hit the pre-chorus, Fiona squealed. "Go!"  
  
The girls clanged their classes together and downed their shots, Dorothy coughing against the harsh vodka in her throat, as Fiona shoved the next in her hand and they repeated the action twice more.  
  
Fiona and Hope tossed their heads back and sang, "Throw 'em back, till I lose count!"  
  
Laughing, Dorothy joined in on the chorus, already feeling lighter with the alcohol pumping through her system.  
  
As the second verse began, Hope looked over at Dorothy and smiled. "It's okay to let loose and have a good time, Dora. Be sad tomorrow. Tonight, just live in this moment, with your team, and forget anything else exists."  
  
Dorothy smiled back at her, but a small voice in her head wondered if the advice was meant for her, or to conquer the small hint of anxiety she could see in Hope's eyes.  
  
Before she could think too much on it, Fiona placed the next shot in her hand and the girls were repeating the same process. By the sixth shot, Dorothy couldn't even feel the burn.  
  
Fiona pulled her two best friends out onto the dance floor and twirled them around as they sang along to the song, laughing together at some joke that Dorothy wasn't even sure was funny.  
  
“Help me, I'm holding on for dear life, won't look down won't open my eyes. Keep my glass full until morning light, 'cos I'm just holding on for tonight, on for tonight…” The song came to a close and she looked over at Hope, who was wiping violently under her eyes.  
  
"Hope, you okay?" Dorothy asked.   
  
Hope turned to her with red eyes and shot a fake smile. "Party girls don't get hurt, right?" She then strode past Dorothy onto the floor, grabbing the tie of a random bloke along the way to dance with in the center of the club.   
  
And in her drunken state as Marcus took Dorothy's hand and dragged her into the mix, she felt that she had never understood what it was like to be Hope Jacobs more than in this moment.  
  
***  
  
After a long night in the library trying to distract himself from everything going wrong in his life, James was trudging down the corridor to the Fat Lady's portrait, praying to whatever deity may exist that his family would be asleep and not hounding him with questions about Hope or Dorothy.  
  
He sighed as his thoughts were once again all on Hope. Of all people to feel like this for, it had to be his ex-girlfriend's best friend. And Hope, being infuriatingly, wonderfully awful, would never do anything that could be construed as betraying her friends. Meaning he was never going to get the only thing he wanted. Her.   
  
This fact only made him want her more, because staying away from him was so...Hufflepuff and Hope of her. Her steadfast loyalty and stubborn nature were two of his favorite things about her. In addition to all of the other wonderful things about her. Like the way she never let him get away with any of his normal crap, or the way she challenged practically every single thing that came out of his mouth, or the way she twirled her hair around her finger as she studied classic Quidditch plays instead of her Transfiguration notes.   
  
He reached the portrait and gave the password, then climbed into an empty common room. Sighing in relief, James dragged himself upstairs and to his dormitory. He entered at the same time the bathroom door opened. James looked up and made eye contact with Fred, who was dressed in only his boxers for bed. Fred broke the eye contact first.   
  
"Wait, Fred," James said, tossing his books down on his four poster. "I need to say something to you and I just need you to listen and not get mad or check out, okay?"  
  
Fred turned back to his cousin, and leaned up against one of the posts on his bed. "Alright," he said, one eyebrow raised.  
  
James rubbed his hands on his trousers, surprised that Fred had stopped to listen. "I..." he stopped and let out a breath. "I feel like rubbish. Worse than rubbish. I feel like I can't breathe anymore. Every time I see her and know that I can't have her, this feeling, that I thought couldn't get any worse, does. And," James paused, trying to pick the best words. "And if I made you feel like that about Dorothy, I can't even put into words how sorry I am. You're my best mate, Fred. And if I put you through whatever this is, well," he let out a small chuckle, "I'm honestly surprised you only punched me once."  
  
Fred didn't respond. James cleared his throat. "That's it," he said. "So, uh, good night, Fred. Yeah."  
  
"Alright," Fred said.  
  
"Alright?" James asked.   
  
Freddie nodded. "Alright." He offered James his hand. Hesitantly, James took it. Fred pulled James into his chest and clapped him on the back. "I wish I could tell you it gets better, but it doesn't."  
  
James laughed. "You've always been the worst at advice, man."  
  
Freddie grinned. "It's a gift."  
  
As the two boys settled into bed, James chuckled to himself. "You know, you think the whole Potter-Weasley thing we've got going on would help us get the girls we're stupidly in love with."  
  
Freddie laughed as he rolled onto his side. "I kind of feel jipped."


	29. I Just Can't Believe It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'm perfectly nice!"
> 
> "Course you are, Fi."
> 
> "I hope you die."

"Ah, Fred, there you are," Rose said with a grin as he approached the breakfast table.  
  
  
Fred's eyes widened in surprise. "Why are you speaking before nine?" Beside her sat his younger sister and Lily, both of whom wore matching grins. Fred's eyes narrowed. "What have you two done to her?"  
  
"We've done nothing wrong," Roxanne replied, rolling her eyes. "Honestly, Fred, you're so dramatic."  
  
"I'm not, I know you bints," he grumbled, reaching for an orange. "Can't you all be more like Carley?" The girl in question looked up, fatigue evident on her face as she blinked at him, looking as though she had just woken from a nap.   
  
Lily rolled her eyes. "We're on a mission, Fred."  
  
Uninterested, Carley went back to staring at her bowl of oatmeal. Fred sighed. "There is no mission. You lot need to stop meddling."  
  
"It's not meddling when it's for the greater good,"  Roxanne said with a laugh.  
  
Fred groaned. "What greater good would that be?"  
  
"The future happiness of my favorite brother, along with Thee and my future nieces and nephews," Roxanne said simply. Fred choked on the breath he'd just taken.  
  
"In simpler terms, your destiny," Albus chimed in as he joined the group at the table by sliding into the open seat in front of where Freddie stood. Fred rolled his eyes and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small purple tube. He shoved it deeply into the orange in his hand, now hidden by Albus's back, and said,   
  
"You lot are insane."  
  
"You need to do something!" Lily shot back. "Don't you want to be happy?"  
  
"I am happy!" he protested. "Butt out, would you?"  
  
"Oi, mate. I thought you'd wait for me for breakfast," James said as he approached Fred.   
  
Albus cocked an eyebrow. "You two are speaking again?"  
  
Fred grinned. "Yup. See, I've done something, right?" He tossed the orange to Roxanne. "Let's go, James."  
  
"I've not eaten any—" James began, but then he saw the look on Fred's face, one he'd seen many times before. "Yeah, you know, I'm not hungry anymore. Weren't we supposed to meet Drummand for something Quidditch related?"  
  
"Seems likely, let's be going," Freddie said, practically pushing James back down the Great Hall.   
  
It was only a few seconds before there was a loud bang behind them, and the boys stopped to look back where their family sat, shocked and coated in orange pulp. " _Freddie!_ " Rose shrieked.   
  
"Go, go!" Freddie instructed, running from the hall with James beside him.  
  
Once outside, James and Fred leaned up against a wall to catch their breath and fully appreciate the prank. "How'd you make the orange explode?" James asked, a lopsided grin on his face.  
  
"New product I've been working on," Freddie explained as he pulled out a few purple tubes like the one he'd placed in the orange. There was a barely visible button on the side. "They explode thirty seconds after being activated."  
  
James laughed. "You're brilliant, mate. I don't even know how you managed that."  
  
"Simple mixture of highly volatile and reactive potions," he replied with a shrug.  
  
James rolled his eyes. "As if that's something simple," he said with a laugh. "Come on, I want to hit the kitchens, I'm starved."  
  
"Yeah, sorry about that, didn't want to risk sticking around," Fred said as the two began walking down the corridor. "I wasn't sure how violent the explosion was going to be, never used a fruit before."  
  
James laughed. "Of course."  
  
James and Freddie turned a corner and followed the corridor to a stairwell and were halfway down the steps before James let out a curse beneath his breath. Approaching the base of the stairs they were currently on was Fiona, Dorothy, and Hope. The very last people either of them wanted to see.   
  
As they approached one another, James couldn't keep his eyes off of Hope. "Morning," he choked out.  
  
The girls looked at him. The five all stopped on the stairs, the tension growing with each passing second.  
  
"Morning, James," Dorothy said, her voice almost pleasant. He turned to look at her and they shared awkward smiles.  
  
Her eyes shifted from James to Freddie, who was blatantly looking anywhere but Dorothy. "Those house elves won't wait forever, James, we'd best be going," he said quickly, pushing his cousin to get him moving again.  
  
"Breakfast is still being served," Dorothy said. "Why are you going to the kitchens?"  
  
"Fred decided to test a new product," James said. He was fighting to keep his eyes from Hope's face, but was failing miserably.   
  
Dorothy let out a small laugh. "Of course."  
  
"Right, well this was fun and uncomfortable," Fiona said. "Thanks, gents, but I'm starving. Let's do this again though, yeah? I love a squirming Weasley." She grabbed the hands of both Hope and Dorothy, and yanked them up a few steps. "Come on."  
  
Hope turned her head over her shoulder, looking at James for the first time as Fiona dragged her up the stairs. James broke the eye contact first.   
  
"In a castle this large, you'd think we wouldn't run into each other constantly," Fred grumbled as he continued down the stairs.  
  
James chuckled half heartedly. "Yeah, you'd think."  
  
"I can't believe it," Dorothy said as she, Hope, and Fiona walked towards the Great Hall.  
  
"Can't believe what?" Hope asked, shoving her thoughts about James down and far away.  
  
"That!" she exclaimed as they turned into the hall. " _Them!_ "  
  
"Longbottom, you and Fred haven't spoken all term and you dumped Potter Saturday, it's going to be painfully awkward when you see them," Fiona said, leading the way to an open spot at the Hufflepuff table.  
  
"No, not that," Dorothy said, plopping down into a seat. Hope sat beside Dorothy, and Fiona sat next to Hope. "Them. They're...they're friends." Dorothy let out a small, high pitched laugh. "He forgave James. He actually forgave James." She turned to Hope and Fiona. "He forgives James but still can't even look at me...is he serious right now?"  
  
"They're best mates," Fiona said. "It makes sense, doesn't it?"  
  
Dorothy laughed. "Not even a little bit. The only person Fred can't hold a grudge against is me!"  
  
"Have you tried talking to him?" Hope asked.   
  
"I've been thinking about that," Dorothy said, violently stabbing at a piece of fruit on her plate. "And I've been trying to come up with this great, end all apology that will fix everything between us and I don't even know what I'm supposed to be apologizing for. I didn't do anything wrong."  
  
"What happened?" Hope asked, hoping she wasn't pushing too far and Dorothy wouldn't clam up about what had gone down between her and Fred on the train, the way she normally did.  
  
"You want to know what happened?" Dorothy snapped, fully facing them. She was filled with such...anger towards Fred. So different than the sadness and loneliness she normally felt when Fred crossed her mind. "He ended things because I started seeing James. Said he was making the choice between them for me before I was forced to do it." She paused to take breath, taken aback at just how angry she was. Her eyes turned down, directing a fiery glare on the apple slices on her plate. "He left me. Because of a boy. And I begged him to stay, told him I would end things with James because Freddie is Freddie but he just...left." Dorothy looked up from the table top and at Hope and Fiona. "And you know, I _tried_. But he walked away."  
  
"You have absolutely nothing to apologize for," Fiona growled. "Where does he get off, just giving up on your friendship?"  
  
"Thank you!" Dorothy said, her hands shaking.  
  
"That's a shitty thing to do," Hope added. "You're a big girl, you can make decisions for yourself. He can sod off."  
  
"Exactly," Dorothy said. "But if he wants to be all 'best mates' with James because we broke up, that's fine by me, whatever. But I'm done. He can come to me if he wants to fix things." She popped an apple slice into her mouth with a look so fierce that the Dorothy who started this year wouldn't even recognize her.   
  
***  
  
"Fiona!" Freddie called, chasing after the brunette Hufflepuff. "You can't just hit me and walk away, it doesn't work like that!"  
  
"I'm mad at you!" she snapped back, her pace quickening as she weaved through the maze of corridors that made up the dungeons. She and Freddie had been meeting here during their coinciding free periods since she'd found him working for Professor Patil, and they'd grown strangely close.  
  
"Shocking, I never would've guessed that," Freddie retorted, finally getting close enough to her that he could grab hold of her wrist. "Fi, what'd I do?"  
  
"You are a poor excuse for a Gryffindor!" Fiona said, trying to pull her arm from his grasp. "And I am very," her voice strained with the effort she was exuding, " _very_ upset!"  
  
"Will you make sense for ten seconds please?" Freddie demanded.   
  
"You gave up!"  
  
Freddie gave her a confused look. "I gave up?"  
  
"Yes, you gave up!" She finally pulled her hand free. "You lions are supposed to be brave and loyal and you just gave up!"  
  
"What," he began, rubbing his cheek as he tried to understand. "What did I give up on?"  
  
Fiona sighed, and she answered in a heavy voice, "Longbottom. You gave up on Dorothy, you walked away..." Her voice fell off into silence as Fiona tried to find the right words.  
  
Freddie beat her to it as he groaned. "Not you too."  
  
"You abandoned a lifetime of friendship because of Potter?" she asked him. He didn't respond. "Everyone knew that wasn't going to last. Longbottom knew. But you left her sobbing, begging for you to stay, offering to end things with the one boy she'd loved," Fiona let out a harsh laugh. "And you just walked away."  
  
"I couldn't watch it again!" Freddie exclaimed. "I couldn't sit there and watch their relationship fail and her get hurt and not be able to do anything—"  
  
"That's what you're supposed to do!" Fiona yelled back, shocking him into silence. "You're supposed to be there when things go bad! Being there for people when they need you?" Fiona took a step towards him. "Damnit, Fred, that's all a relationship is!"  
  
"She was setting herself up for heartbreak."  
  
"Something she offered to throw away just to keep you in her life," Fiona countered. "She may not realize it, but she loves you just as much as you love her. And you shattered her heart for the worst reason!"  
  
"She doesn't love me," Freddie grumbled. "And I don't love her, we were just friends—"  
  
"Will you cut the hippogriff shit already?" Fiona demanded. "You forced her into a situation that never should've happened. In no world would she have ever picked James over you." She took a step away from him, shaking her head. "But you're just a coward, Fred. You ran when it got hard. When the girl you loved rubbed it in your face that she's clueless. And I honestly thought you were better than that."  
  
As she turned to walk away, Fred said, "So what do you want? An apology?"  
  
Fiona turned. "I want you to grow up, Fred. Be friends with James if you want to be friends with James, apologize to Longbottom if you want to apologize. But stop acting like some victim of circumstance when it's no one's fault but your own that you're in this."  
  
As she strode down the corridor and out of sight, Freddie sighed. He had potions to brew.  
  
***  
  
James was everywhere _._  
  
Hope had never noticed this unfortunate fact of her life until she was trying to stay as far away from him as possible, but he was _everywhere_. She probably saw him four or five times a day, not even including the horrendous periods when they had lessons together and she had to force herself not to look at him or pretend like she couldn't feel his gaze resting on her. It was honestly getting ridiculous.  
  
She was currently hiding in the library, knowing he had his weekly meeting with Professor Drexel about plans and ideas for next term.  
  
As she flipped through the pages of her book without really reading them, she noted how sad it was that she still knew his schedule so well. It was pathetic really. _She_ was pathetic. She missed having him in her life. She finally understood what Dorothy had meant when she said James was a lot to lose because she felt as though she had lost something substantial from her life. There was now this giant, James-sized hole that nothing could fill and she was so confused as to why it was there. She and James had only been friends a few months, close friends for even less. But now there was this huge part of her life missing and seeing him all over school didn't do anything but make her miss him more. Sighing, she lifted the book closer to her face in an attempt to force her brain to comprehend the gibberish on the page.  
  
"Hope?"  
  
She cursed loudly. "What do you want, James?" she snapped, looking up from the book she was holding. "You're not supposed to be here, can't you just leave me alone?"  
  
James looked at her, his expression sort of pained. "Drummand saw me in the corridor and said Gryffindor and Hufflepuff double booked the pitch Thursday afternoon, so one of us needs to reschedule practice."  
  
Hope cursed again, much quieter this time. "Oh," she said, feeling extremely awkward.  
  
"Yeah," James said. "I booked it first, so you need to let Drummand know when you'll be moving practice to."  
  
Hope nodded. "Is that all?"  
  
There was a long beat of silence before James shook his head. "No." Hope winced, not wanting to have this conversation with him, again. But rather than staying, he let his head fall and turned, leaving her where he'd found her. After he was out of sight, Hope buried her face in her hands. Why had he gone and ruined everything?  
  
***  
  
"Longbottom, I need some advice," Fiona said offhandedly as she, Dorothy, and Hope walked to breakfast a few days later.  
  
Dorothy looked surprised. "Uh, course. What's up?"  
  
"Lou wrote me about his sister's wedding to Teddy Lupin over Easter holiday because he wants to take me."  
  
"I love weddings," Hope commented with a far away smile.  
  
Ignoring Hope's interjection, Dorothy replied, "Alright? I'm confused where I come into this."  
  
Fiona sighed and muttered, "How do I make Fleur like me?"  
  
Hope sniggered. "Oh, sweetie."  
  
"It's not funny!" Fiona snapped. "The woman absolutely _despises_ my existence and it's very important that she doesn't!"  
  
Dorothy smiled at Fiona. "You can't make someone like you," she said.  
  
"She likes you though, right?"  
  
"Course she does, she's practically my aunt."  
  
"Longbottom, you need to help me."  
  
Dorothy sighed as the three girls turned into the Great Hall. "Fi, you have to remember Louis is both her baby and her only son. No one will ever be good enough for him."  
  
Fiona shot her a glare as the three of them sat. "You are being the opposite of helpful."  
  
"Gran Weasley liked you," Hope said, reaching for a scone. "And Bill, right?"  
  
"Gran liked me a lot, and Bill wasn't opposed to me. Not certain if he actually enjoyed my presence, but he tried his best to keep Fleur from wringing my neck."  
  
"Well, that's good," Dorothy said. "Gran is the one you have to impress. Her opinion is the only one that truly matters. And if anyone can change Fleur's mind about you, it's Bill and Louis. You probably just have to give it time."  
  
"And maybe be a bit of a nicer human," Hope added.  
  
Fiona glared. "I'm perfectly nice!"  
  
Hope laughed. "Course you are, Fi."  
  
"I hope you die."  
  
"Thank you, 'perfectly nice' Fiona," Hope teased. "I wish I could see how this goes, I love watching you sweat."  
  
"I will drown you in pumpkin juice!"  
  
"You want to come?" Dorothy asked Hope. "I can write Ted and see if I can get a plus one."  
  
Hope's eyes widened in excitement. "Of course I want to go! Please take me!"  
  
Dorothy laughed. "Got a piece of parchment? I'll write him now so I don't forget. The post will be here in a mo."  
  
Fiona slammed her head onto the oak tabletop. "Why must you two hate me?"  
  
"Yup, me going to the wedding definitely says 'Wow, I really hate Fiona'," Hope said rolling her eyes as she handed Dorothy a piece of parchment from her bag. "Maybe I wanted to be supportive and tell Fleur nothing but fabulous things about you."  
  
Fiona turned her head to look at Hope. "Really?"  
  
"It's possible...if you're nice to me, obviously."  
  
Fiona rolled her head back to stare at the table top. "You're really rubbish friends."  
  
***  
  
Rose Weasley hated not knowing something. She prided herself on knowing absolutely everything there was to know about anything, whether it be her subjects, Quidditch, or the people around her. And that was one of the many reasons Scorpius Malfoy absolutely _infuriated_ her.  
  
She was watching him. Like a stalker. But she was studying, studying _him_ , trying to understand. She'd grown up in detentions with the blonde snake, screaming at him, and beating him in everything. But until recently, she'd felt no desire to understand the imbecile. All she'd needed to know was that she hated him and he hated her and that was the way the world worked.  
  
And then he'd shoved her against a wall as if he was about to snog her senseless. And Albus caught them.  
  
Her mind had been spinning violently ever since it had happened. It was a puzzle missing pieces, and she couldn't take it.  
  
"Are you going to hide behind the bookshelf all day, Weasley?" he asked, his voice a low drawl mixed with a lilt of humor.  
  
She cursed. "I'm not hiding."  
  
He didn't even look up from the book in his hands, but he smirked. She glared. "Course not."  
  
She began to violently pull an assortment of books from the shelves and tossed them onto the table behind her. "I'm not. I'm studying."  
  
"I stand behind a bookshelf for twenty minutes before retrieving textbooks when I study too."  
  
She huffed in indignation. "I've got a lot on my mind, Malfoy. Not like it's any of _your_ business."  
  
His eyes slid up off his page and met hers through a gap in the shelves. "Mhmm."  
  
Her face reddened and she ran a hand through her wild curls. "Sod off."  
  
"I was here first," he said, letting his eyes slide back down to his book. "So I won't be going anywhere. In case you'd like to continue 'studying.' There's also another chair on this side of the shelves."  
  
Rose gaped at him, not sure what to say. His eyebrow arched over one of his silver eyes. "Have I left _the_ Rose Weasley at a loss for words? This is historic."  
  
She ripped a stack of books off the shelves and pushed her face through the gap, shooting him a death glare. "Excuse you—"  
  
He snapped his book shut. "You know, you should do the silent thing more often." He rose from his seat and strode towards her. Before she could even open her mouth to respond, he'd reached through the newly made opening on the shelf to grab her face and covered her mouth with his own. Rose's eyes were wide open as he kissed her, her hands digging into the hard covers of books on the shelf beneath their heads. He released her mouth, but didn't move right away. "Next time you find yourself watching me, you should be more discrete so I don't catch you. You've never caught me."  
  
He backed away from her and ran his hands down the front of his Oxford shirt and let out a breath. Rose stared at him, mouth slightly agape. "See you around, Weasley." She watched him grab his book and stride out of the library before she backed away from the bookcase. Her hand rose to her mouth, unsure if what had just happened had actually occurred.  
  
All she knew was that the puzzle that was Scorpius Malfoy had just doubled in size, and she had no more pieces that she'd had at the start.  
  
***  
  
"Carley!"  
  
The red head froze at the sound of her name, turning her head to the sound. "Albus?" she squeaked.  
  
He jumped over the back of the scarlet couch he'd been lounging on and approached her with a grin on his face. "Just the girl I was looking for."  
  
"Oh?" she replied, trying her best to sound like she wasn't about to die from cardiac arrest.  
  
"Yes," he said. He then continued with the words Carley had been dreaming about for the past four years of her life: "I need you."  
  
Her eyes widened. "What?" she choked out. This was it. Albus Potter was in love with her, and they were going to skip off into the sunset—  
  
"I have a mission," he continued. "And since you are the least insane girl I know, I need you to be my second in command."  
  
She blinked rapidly, her daydream shattered. "What?"  
  
"I need you to help me get my idiot brother and Hope Jacobs together."  
  
Her heart sank. "What?"  
  
"Yeah," Albus said, not noticing her dejected tone of voice. "I can't watch him mope around for another second, it's pathetic. Are you in?"  
  
"Uh, sure. Why not," Carley replied. "You do realize that Hope'll never date him, right? She's loyal to her friends, and she won't go for Thee's ex."  
  
"That's why we're going to get Thee on our side," Albus explained. "She cares about James and Hope, she'll help us. And Hope won't say no if Thee is the one getting them together."  
  
"So we're not getting them together?"  
  
"We are, we just need Thee first."  
  
Carley sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "You're absolutely insane, Albus."  
  
He grinned. "It's part of my charm."


	30. I Just Can't Stop Thinking of You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Professor, this essay actually says that vampires sparkle in the sunlight. What are you teaching these kids?"
> 
> "It's those blasted Muggle Studies book reports, Finch-Fletchley has almost the entirety of the second year girls fawning of Edward What's-His-Face. Happens every year, drives me mad. They think these old eyes don't actually read the essays anymore."

_Hope wasn't exactly sure where she was. She was in bed, but not the bed she fallen asleep in. Sun was streaming in through the open window above her and it was warm on her bare shoulders that the blankets were no longer covering. Her eyes widened as she realized she was naked. In a strange bed. Her hand slid beneath the covers to check that her assessment was correct and she nearly screeched as she felt a large protrusion from her belly. She pulled the covers upwards and stared blankly at her very_ pregnant _stomach.  
  
  
Hope let the cover fall and tried to focus on her breathing. She was pregnant, naked, and in a strange bed. An arm suddenly wrapped around her waist and pulled her against a very firm, warm, and naked male chest. Not only was she pregnant, naked, and in a strange bed, she wasn't _alone _.  
  
"G'morning," a deep voice rumbled in her ear as the man behind her pressed an open mouthed kiss to her neck. "Sleep well?" Hope was frozen under the strange man's touch. "I certainly did; I'm going to miss these pregnancy hormones in a few months."  
  
Hope turned her head slightly to see a mop of black hair bent over her shoulder. A very familiar mop of black hair. "J-James?" she stuttered.  
  
"Yes, dear?" he asked as his mouth moved to nip her earlobe.  
  
"What are you doing?" she asked as her hand rose to his head, holding his mouth against her skin.  
  
"Saying good morning to my favorite woman," he teased. His hand slid over her belly and he corrected, "Well, my two favorite women."  
  
"Mhmm," Hope said, letting her eyes fall shut. This was good. She could do this.  
  
"You're right though, I've got to go, first day of the new term and I can't be late," he said, rolling out of bed and standing before her in all his naked glory. Hope squeaked. He smirked at her. "Like what you see?"  
  
Hope's face reddened violently. "Shut up."  
  
He walked around to her side of the bed and planted a heavy kiss to her mouth. "You know, it's much more efficient to shower together..."  
_  
Hope Jacobs jumped awake, feeling cold for the first time ever in her years sleeping in the Hufflepuff dormitories. Her head whipped around violently to check if anyone was awake as her hands roamed her body, feeling her pajamas and flat stomach. She let her body fall flat and relaxed back into the mattress, feeling waves of sadness roll through her. "Any future with James will always be just a dream, you know that," she muttered angrily to herself.  
  
Still, she rolled onto her side and pulled her knees in close to her chest as she wiped violently at the tears threatening to fall from her eyes.  
  
***  
  
Hope sat at the breakfast table with Fiona and Dorothy, just like any other morning, but her thoughts were elsewhere. The dream she'd had was stuck in her brain and she couldn't really focus on anything else.  
  
There was a sharp kick to her ankle, and her head shot up, but instead of Fiona's face, she saw James's.   
  
_"Oi, Jacobs, are you really paying attention?" he'd asked her in the midst of charms, a happy grin on his face.  
  
"Course not," she would reply. "My plan is to copy Dora's notes later, they're better than I'd ever be able to do."  
  
He chuckled. "You take such advantage of my girlfriend."  
  
"As if you don't," Hope shot back. "Anyway, what do you want? I'm drafting plays, you're distracting me!"  
  
"Plays, huh?"  
  
"Bugger off, you Gryffindor prick."  
  
"Oi!" he cried. "Crazy bint."  
  
"Potter, I swear to Merlin—"  
  
"Look how far I got one," he said simply.   
  
Hope looked up, and four rows ahead where Dedra Sommers sat filing her nails, a small, crumpled ball of parchment rested in a pocket of her dark hair tucked behind her ear. Hope grinned. "I'm telling you," Hope began, "until you hit McCain in the eye, I will not be impressed with your childish games."  
  
"That was a lucky shot for you, and you know it!"  
_  
"Oi! Hope!" Fiona shouted, and Hope jumped in her seat, suddenly back in the middle of the Great Hall, an apple sitting precariously in her grasp.   
  
"What?" Hope said, blinking away the memory.  
  
Fiona gave her a weird look and said, "You alright? You zoned out there for a bit."  
  
"Oh!" Hope replied, forcing a smile. "Yeah, sorry...didn't sleep well." She took a violent bite from the apple in her hand.   
  
"I thought I heard someone tossing and turning," Dorothy said as she buttered her toast. "Bad dream?"  
  
Hope took a moment before responding, "Not in the traditional sense." She took another large bite of the apple, clearly ending the discussion.   
  
Dorothy furrowed her brow slightly, but didn't push it.  
  
"That wasn't vague at all," Fiona commented offhandedly, not looking up from her own plate. Hope sent her best friend a glare, who shot her a smirk. "It's fine, whatever."  
  
Hope rolled her eyes and stood from the table. "I've got to run, there's a Captain meeting today about the final and I owe Zabini two essays by tonight if I'm to be allowed to play."  
  
"Bint," Fiona said with a laugh. "Leave whatever you don't finish on my four poster and Longbottom and I will make sure it's done."  
  
Hope couldn't help but grin, even with her mood so sour. "Moments like these remind me why I keep you."  
  
***  
  
As Hope sat at a table in the library, she was finding it very hard to concentrate. She was surrounded by her things, as if trying to build a wall to keep the thoughts of James away, but they kept rolling in like waves on a sandy shore: sometimes small, sometimes big, always consistent.  
  
She bit on her bottom lip as she tried to make up some sort of transition to the next paragraph on her parchment, when she could practically hear in her head, _"Whatcha writing, Jacobs?"  
  
Hope turned her head to him and grinned. "Hippogriff shit, basically. Need four more inches."  
  
"Ah," James said as he pulled out the chair on the other side of her table and sat down. "What class?"  
  
"Transfiguration, as always."  
  
"Zabini hasn't assigned an essay in weeks."  
  
"Yeah, this is the last one."  
  
"You mean the one we got back right after holiday?"  
  
She looked up and smirked. "Yes."  
  
James laughed. "You do realize that was a month ago, right?"  
  
She paused for a moment, then said, "Okay, so I guess the one before that." She smirked at his expression. "It's an essay, I've not turned it in, whatever."  
  
"Zabini must hate you," he said.   
  
"Nah, not at all. That's why he gives me detention so much, to spend more time with me. And keep me off the pitch. He's a horrible sport."_  
  
"Hi, Hope!"  
  
Hope jumped in surprise and looked up to see Lily Potter standing beside her. "Oh, hello, Lily," Hope said, forcing a kind smile.  
  
"Whatcha writing?"  
  
Hope felt her smile falter slightly, instantly reminded of the memory she'd just had on her mind. "Transfiguration essays."  
  
"Ah, those are the worst," Lily said. "Mind if I sit with you?"  
  
Hope blinked before nodding quickly. "Course, go ahead."  
  
"Thanks," Lily said, plopping herself down in the seat her brother usually filled. "Hate studying alone, I always end up so distracted."  
  
"What are you studying for?" Hope asked.   
  
"Defense, as always," Lily said with a chuckle. "You'd think with my parents I'd be better at it."  
  
Hope laughed softly. "You've got a point there. Wasn't James tutoring you?"  
  
"Still is, but he's got a meeting today with McGonagall about Auror stuff so he cancelled on me."  
  
"Auror stuff?" Hope asked, confused.  
  
"You know, after Hogwarts?" Lily said. "Surely you've talked about it, it's always been his plan."  
  
 _He hasn't told them_ , she thought to herself. "Uh, yeah. Right."  
  
Lily looked at Hope curiously. "Unless you know something I don't," she said.   
  
"Me? No, definitely not," Hope said quickly.  
  
Lily rolled her eyes. "You Hufflepuffs are awful liars."  
  
"It's not my secret to tell, honestly," Hope said. "Ask your brother."  
  
Lily sighed. " _Fine_." Hope watched as the younger girl opened her book and picked up a quill, ready to annotate the chapter in front of her. "Hope?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I know about what happened between you and my brother."  
  
Hope froze. "What...what are you talking about?"  
  
"That he's an idiot and kissed you the same day he and Thee broke up. And that he likes you. A lot more than any other girl I've ever seen him like."  
  
Hope swallowed thickly. "Ah. Are you...?" she trailed off, but Lily picked up on her meaning.   
  
"No, I'm pretty sure all of us know. Except Thee, of course."  
  
Hope covered her face with her hands, wishing she could go back to the days when all of Gryffindor wasn't keeping tabs on her daily life. "Right."  
  
"I just wanted to say that I think you're a really good friend to Thee for not going after James," Lily continued. "But..." She paused, looking for the words. "But I think you'd be really good for James. And you and James would be really good together."  
  
Hope peeked through her fingers at Lily, who was looking at her seriously. Hope noted how similar her eyes were to her brother's. "I don't have a response for that."  
  
Lily nodded. "I know. I figured as much, I just...I wanted you to know."  
  
Hope nodded. "Thanks...I think."  
  
Lily smiled. "You're welcome."  
  
***  
  
Back in the Gryffindor common room a few hours later, Lily was on the lookout for James. After not seeing him, she darted up the stairs to the Seventh Year boys' dormitory and entered slowly, sighing in relief to find it empty. She headed straight for James's trunk, easily finding the ratty chunk of parchment she was looking for slid down the side.  
  
She then disappeared out the door and to her own dormitory. Lily climbed onto her own four poster and shut the scarlet drapes around her with a flick of her wand, which she then laid on the parchment in front of her. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good," she murmured, and the Marauder's Map sprung to life. Gently pulling apart the overused pages, she searched for James's name among the many. She found him in Drexel's office, with the professor.  
  
She smirked. "Gotcha," Lily said as she folded the map to keep an eye on his name and hurried from the dormitory, stopping only to grab an Extendable Ear, and headed to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.  
  
When she finally arrived, James and the professor hadn't moved from his office, so she positioned herself beneath the stairs under the office and Levitated the opposite end of the Ear to sit at the base of the office door.   
  
The first thing she heard was laughter. "Professor, this essay actually says that vampires sparkle in the sunlight. What are you teaching these kids?"  
  
"It's those blasted Muggle Studies book reports, Finch-Fletchley has almost the entirety of the second year girls fawning of Edward What's-His-Face. Happens every year, drives me mad. They think these old eyes don't actually _read_ the essays anymore," Drexel responded, giving a hearty laugh. "And I told you, James, call me Dexter out of class. You'll need to get used to it for next year."  
  
"Right, sorry, Dexter," James said. "I remember that book, bloody bizarre. Muggles just don't understand, do they?"  
  
"Fabulous imaginations, though." There was a ruffling of papers. "What do you think that essay deserves?"  
  
"Well, other than the blatant lack of accuracy, it's written quite well for a second year. Does a D sound fair?"  
  
"Make the necessary comments, and score it, m'boy. I'll make a good professor out of you yet."  
  
Lily's eyes widened. "A professor?" she demanded out loud.  
  
"Thank you, Dexter," James said. "This is really such an amazing opportunity, I never could've imagined—"  
  
"Nonsense," Drexel replied. "You have an obvious knack for it, I'm lucky to have such a promising successor."  
  
"Successor?!" Lily hissed. "What the hell?"  
  
The clock in Drexel's office tolled, signaling it was now three in the afternoon. "Is that the time?" James said. "I've got to be off, Drummand is holding a Captain's meeting."  
  
"Very well, thanks for the help, James. I'll see you in class."  
  
"Sounds grand," James said. Lily jumped to her feet as she heard a chair scoot back. She hastily yanked the Extendable Ear back into her hands and shoved it into her pocket, trying to escape before James saw her.  
  
Just as she reached the door, she heard, "Lily?"  
  
She turned and smiled at her brother, who was making his way down the stairs. "Oh, hello, James!"  
  
"What are you doing here?" he asked, and she could tell he was slightly nervous.  
  
"Had a question, was looking for Drexel," she said quickly.  
  
"I can help you," he said, still eyeing her suspiciously. "What's up?"  
  
"Uh," Lily said, running a hand through her hair. "It seems I've forgotten! I'll catch you later if it," she paused as she watched his eyes narrow, "comes back to me?"  
  
"How much did you hear," he said, his voice expressionless.   
  
"Hear?" she replied, her voice high pitched. "Not a clue what you're going on about, James—"  
  
"Your Extendable Ear is hanging out of your pocket, Lil. I taught you to check for that first thing when I bought them for you. Rookie mistake." Lily looked down and cursed at the ear dangling over her thigh. "And is that the map?" James asked, his voice slightly angry now.   
  
"You're the one lying about wanting to be an Auror!" Lily shot back. "When Hope wouldn't tell me what you were up to, I had to figure it out for myself!"  
  
James's face hardened even more. "Hope told you I didn't want to be an Auror?"  
  
"No!" Lily said quickly. "We were studying and I mentioned you told me you had a meeting with McGonagall about it and she covered for you but she's a horrid liar and then refused to tell me anything about your future plans—"  
  
"What were you doing with Hope anyway?" James demanded, his mind spinning. He felt slightly ill.   
  
"We were just studying," Lily said. "She didn't tell me anything, I swear. It was very inconvenient."  
  
James nodded. "But now...?" he prompted.   
  
"You're taking over for Drexel? As the next Defense professor?"  
  
James sighed and led his sister outside the classroom, forcing her to walk with him. He checked over both shoulders to be sure they were alone. "Yes."  
  
"You're going to be my professor?"  
  
"No, not exactly," James said. He let out a frustrated huff. "I'm assisting him until you and Hugo graduate. So, for your next three years, you'll have him and I'll work with the younger years. Maybe pop in your lessons a few times. Learn the ropes. But after you two graduate, the post, the whole post, is mine."  
  
Lily blinked, trying to understand what her brother was saying. "But...but I thought you wanted to be an Auror."  
  
James sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't even apply for the Academy."  
  
Lily's eyes widened. "You didn't even apply?!"  
  
"I couldn't," he said. "I stared at the application and just couldn't bring myself to fill it out. This, the idea of teaching...it excites me, Lil. I'm good at it." He looked at Lily and grinned. "And I only know that because of you."  
  
"And Hope, obviously."  
  
James's smile faltered slightly. "Yeah, her too, I guess."  
  
The two siblings walked in silence for a while. "I can't believe you're going to be a professor."  
  
"You can't tell anyone," James said, his voice serious. "I haven't told mum and dad yet. They don't even know I never applied to the Academy."  
  
"I'm sure dad knows, they'll be making decisions soon and he has to approve them all," Lily reminded him.   
  
James cursed. "Well, that'll make the conversation over holiday easier to start."  
  
Lily rolled her eyes. "They're going to be happy for you. I'm happy for you."  
  
James smiled. "Thanks." He stopped walking as they reached an intersection of corridors. "I've got to get to Drummand's office, Captain's meeting."  
  
Lily nodded. "You should tell mum and dad before holiday."  
  
"I'll think about it."  
  
"You're dumb."  
  
"Yeah, whatever. I expect that map back where you found it!" he called after his sister, who had begun making her way down the opposite corridor than he needed to take.  
  
She tossed him a grin over her shoulder. "You need better hiding spots!"  
  
"I need a less invasive sister!"  
  
***  
  
Hope was the last to arrive in Drummand's office, as per usual for these meetings. The room was set up the same: a rectangular oak table filled the center and had five chairs around it, two on each side and one at the head, where Drummand sat. Behind her was a chalkboard, and on it was listed each House and their total points gained during the season for the Quidditch Cup. She waved to Drummand and slid into her usual seat on the left side at the far end of the table with Mathias Zabini on her right. She set her bag down beside her with a large thump. "Sorry I'm late," Hope said quickly. The smile froze on her face as she looked across the table to see Bradley Page sitting across from her, in James's usual spot. Her eyes shifted to Bradley's normal spot beside Drummand, where James sat, furiously writing something on a piece of parchment. Her gaze slid back to Bradley, who wasn't paying attention. James had swapped seats to get away from her?  
  
 _That's a good thing_ , Hope told herself as she dug out her Quidditch notebook and a quill. _He's backing off. This is what you want_. Hope felt herself sneak another sad glance at James. His dark hair hung over his face in a mess, and she desperately wanted to fix it. To touch him, just in the slightest way. To fill the void in her gut.   
  
"Let's get started," Drummand said sharply, and all four Captains turned their attention to her. "First off, current standings are: Ravenclaw has 10," she shot a sad look at Bradley, who blushed with embarrassment.  
  
 _"I feel so bad for Bradley," Hope said one day to James as they walked back from a meeting. "He thinks he's a horrible captain because they're doing so poorly."  
  
"He's not a bad captain," James replied. "He's just not as good as us." He smirked at her, and Hope laughed, shoving him lightly with her shoulder. _  
  
"Slytherin has 260," Drummand continued, snapping Hope back into reality. "Hufflepuff has 500, and Gryffindor has 520." Hope didn't even have to look at James to know there would be a smug smirk sitting on his features.  
  
She did anyway.   
  
Rolling her eyes, she turned her gaze back down to her book. "Now, although Gryffindor is currently in the lead, the Cup is still anyone's. There are two matches left, Slytherin against Ravenclaw before the holiday and Hufflepuff against Gryffindor after. The team with the highest overall points over the course of the season will take the Quidditch Cup. If there's a tie in points, the Cup will go to the team with the better record."  
  
"And if the records are the same?" Mathias asked. Hope rolled her eyes. He should know the answer to that question, considering it was in the Captain's handbook, which he should've read. Like she had. Six times. Cover to cover.  
  
"There will be another game scheduled between the two teams to decide the winner," Drummand answered.  
  
Hope leaned back in her chair and let her head fall back to stretch as Drummand went into a speech about locker room protocol and sign ups for volunteers to close the pitch for the summer. As much as Hope loved Madam Drummand, these Captain Meetings were intensely boring and Hope had zero desire to sit through them. She stretched her legs out beneath the table, and her foot came in contact with something hard.  
  
"Ouch!" Bradley said, glaring at Hope and interrupting Drummand mid-sentence. "You kicked me!"  
  
Hope's face paled, and she could feel James's eyes on her. "I'm sorry," she said. Her eyes accidentally locked with James's, who quickly turned away.  
  
 _James's eyes widened as Hope kicked his shin beneath the table. She lifted her book slightly so he could read her message, "So. Bored. Kill me."  
  
He grinned and nodded, pretending to yawn. She snickered. She watched his grin morph into a smirk as he kicked her back beneath the table. Her mouth dropped in feigned surprise and she kicked him again, only to have him catch her foot between his ankles.   
  
Her eyes widened as she tried to yank her foot back. James was visibly shaking with his laughter. She finally slid her foot from between his, but he managed to catch the edge of her shoe and pull it off her foot. She heard him quickly claim the shoe and slide it away from her.  
  
Hope pouted, her foot already getting cold in the brisk air of the office, but James only laughed harder. She kicked him hard with her other shoe, and he bit his lip to keep from cursing. She smirked at his glare._  
  
"Keep your feet to yourself, Jacobs," Bradley said, frowning as he bent to rub his calf.   
  
Hope tucked her feet under her chair and leaned her head on her hand as Drummand continued talking. She wished things were different.   
  
***  
  
Hope packed up quickly after the meeting, desperate to flee the room. "Hope!" James called after her. She cursed beneath her breath. Couldn't he just leave her alone? It was hard enough not being around him, being with him was nearly unbearable.  
  
His hand closed over her arm and she shoved out of his grasp. "Bloody hell, Potter, get away from me! I think I've made myself very clear about how I feel about you and all this, and I'm honestly getting really pissed now!"  
  
James glared at her, then practically shoved her into an empty classroom. "We need to talk—"  
  
"I have nothing to say to you," she hissed.   
  
"Then you're going to listen," James snapped. "Because I'm sick of tiptoeing around you just to get yelled at or sprinted away from. Get over yourself, Jacobs!"  
  
Hope blinked. "Excuse me?"  
  
"You heard me!" he shot back.  
  
"You're the one who told me I was 'it' for you, whatever the hell _that's_ supposed to mean, and kissed me!"  
  
"Yeah, I did!" James said. "And you told me to back off, and I did that too. I'm not pursuing you. I'm not hanging out with you. I let you treat me like shit because you're a good person, and yes, I'm in love with you. But even though you're not in love with me, we were friends, damnit. And running in the opposite direction, staring at me, or shrieking at me isn't okay with me anymore so get over yourself and remember that I was the one who got rejected here."  
  
"Do you think it's easy being away from you?" Hope snapped. "That I enjoy not having you in my life anymore? Because I don't and I'm doing what I have to—"  
  
"Honestly, Hope, I really don't give a shit." Hope glared at him, but he continued, "Whatever you think you're going through is your own issues. Just leave me out of it so I can at least try to get over you."  
  
James then turned and stormed from the room, leaving Hope inside, speechless. She sank into a chair and buried her face in her hands. _Breathe_ , she told herself. _Just breathe._  
  
***  
  
"See you later, dad," Dorothy said, pressing a kiss to his cheek.   
  
"Yup," he said with a grin, wiping potting soil onto his trousers. "Don't forget about lunch next week!"  
  
Dorothy shot him a smile. "I won't!"  
  
As the greenhouse door fell shut, Dorothy began the familiar trek back to the castle. It was slightly warm for the end of February, but she was still bundled in a jumper and scarf. A breeze blew through her blonde hair and she smiled, loving the wind on her face. An idea popped into her head and she turned, heading now for the empty Quidditch pitch. Most of their practices had been focused on technique and the physicality needed for the new plays, so in all the time Dorothy had been cleared for Quidditch, she had yet to take a casual fly for herself.  
  
As she walked out onto the pitch, broom in hand, she realized it was not quite as empty as she had thought.   
  
"My therapist says I shouldn't be around you."  
  
Dorothy felt the grip on her broom slacken. "Hello, Jen," she said simply, feeling very uncomfortable.  
  
Jen gave her a forced, closed mouth smile. She'd stopped dying her hair, and it had settled into an ashy blonde color that was chopped short beneath her chin. Her face was clear of the makeup she'd worn since their third year, and Dorothy was surprised at how...normal the girl seemed. "Hi."  
  
Dorothy ran a hand through her blonde hair, unsure of what to say. "I, uh, haven't seen you in a while," she managed finally.  
  
"Yeah, well," Jen said, shrugging. "Been laying low. Just trying to get through this year."  
  
Dorothy nodded. "How've you been?"  
  
Jen let out a laugh. "You are such a Hufflepuff," she said, shaking her head. "You're not even asking that to be polite, you genuinely care about my well being. That's so...annoying."  
  
Dorothy frowned. "I'm sorry?"  
  
"The Ministry has me seeing a therapist twice a week and we've been working on me being honest with my feelings," Jen replied. She stood from her seat on the ground. "I'm glad I ran into you."  
  
Dorothy looked at her curiously. "You are?"  
  
"Yeah," Jen said. "I've been working on what I would say to you if I had the chance, and now I do."  
  
Dorothy swallowed, unsure of what to expect. "I'm not sorry," Jen continued. "I mean, I obviously didn't mean to hurt you as badly as I did. But if I had to do it again, I would still hit the Bludger."  
  
Dorothy blinked. "Am I supposed to thank you for that?"  
  
"No," Jen said. "I'd think you were insane if you did. And I'm sure I sound like a psychopath saying that. But hitting the Bludger was what broke me. And I needed to break so I could be fixed.  
  
"I'm fixed now," she said. "Maybe not fixed, but I'm much closer to it. And that's not something I would trade for not being this evil, crazy girl who almost killed you."  
  
"I'm happy for you," Dorothy said, surprised that she actually meant it.   
  
"I don't understand you, Longbottom," Jen said, walking towards Dorothy.  
  
Dorothy shrugged. "That's okay."  
  
Jen sighed and picked absentmindedly at one of her fingernails. "James is a pretty shit boyfriend, isn't he? Who'd he ditch you for? I'm guessing your friend Jacobs, but they've been pretty quiet about it if that's the case."  
  
Dorothy felt annoyance rise in her stomach. "I ditched him."  
  
Jen looked up, surprised. "Look at Little Longbottom, all grown up and tough now."  
  
"Well, a lot's happened. Gotta keep up."  
  
Jen smirked. "Guess so." She looked down at the broom in Dorothy's hand. "You know, I don't even miss it."  
  
"Miss what?"  
  
"Quidditch," Jen said. "I much prefer being on the ground these days. There's so much more to life than all this Hogwarts drama and competition. Don't need the stress." Dorothy nodded. "Don't even know why I'm out here. Enjoy your fly, Longbottom." Dorothy stood still as Jen strode off the pitch. She released a breath she didn't even know she'd been holding in. Somehow Jen Brady, of all people, had a better grasp on life than she did these days.  
  
She shook her head and mounted her broom, then kicked off into the air. Dorothy knew there was more to life outside of Hogwarts. That James being in love with Hope was so inconsequential it shouldn't even matter, that there'd be other Freddies in her future, but Dorothy still felt stuck. She felt stuck in her life with nowhere to go to get away from how unwanted she'd been feeling.  
  
As she performed loops in the sky, she couldn't help her thoughts from drifting to the Hallows application she'd sent in a few months ago. She let herself imagine being accepted. What would she do? Could she really leave for two years?  
  
 _Fred wouldn't care_ , she told herself. But Hope and Fiona certainly would. And her parents. Maybe James? But he'd understand, wanting to be an Auror and all. He knew what the opportunity was.  
  
But still, Dorothy couldn't imagine being accepted to the program, let alone signing her life away for that long. She didn't need the Hallows program. Two years was just too long.  
  
 _You won't be accepted anyway_ , she told herself as she glided slowly around the outside perimeter of the pitch. _Stop worrying about something that will never happen._   
  
She sighed and dove gracefully in the center of the pitch, pulling up before she got too close to the ground. Her mind drifted back to James and Hope. She wanted them together because she wanted them to be happy. Dorothy knew it would be hard to watch, but their obvious misery was just getting annoying. She'd left James so he could go after Hope, and he'd done nothing.  
  
And then there was Fred. Dorothy sighed as her thoughts on him flooded her mind. She missed him. Obviously. But she was fine without him. And she'd changed without him. Was there even room for him in her life anymore?  
  
 _Don't be daft_ , she thought viciously. _There will always be a place for Freddie in your life._  
  
Dorothy shook her head violently, trying to clear it. She didn't want to think about all this. She didn't want to think at all. She just wanted to escape for a little while.   
  
***  
  
"Ah, Hopie, there you are," Fiona said from her seat on the ground outside the entrance to the Hufflepuff Common Room.   
  
Hope looked down at her best friend and gave her a weird look. "Did you forget how to get in or something?"  
  
Fiona shot Hope a look. "No, I did not forget how to get into the common room. I've been waiting for you."  
  
"To go in the common room?"  
  
"No!" Fiona said with a glare. "We need to have a chat. So you're not going in the common room."  
  
"Is everything okay?" Hope asked as Fiona stood.   
  
"Oh honey, this chat is about you," Fiona said, dragging her friend to the entrance to the kitchens. "You've been weird since Longbottom chucked Potter, and that was over a week ago."  
  
Hope's face blanched. "I have not."  
  
Fiona laughed and shoved Hope into the kitchens. "You're cute. Start talking."  
  
"There's nothing to talk about, Fi," Hope said as she yanked open one of the fridges. "Ooh, pastries."  
  
"Don't try to distract me with pastries," Fiona said. "You're forgetting I know you better than you know yourself, so it's time to stop insulting my intelligence and tell me why you've been avoiding James like he's the Black Plague."  
  
Hope closed the fridge slowly, taking a deep breath. "He's an idiot."  
  
"Potter? And idiot? Never would've guessed."  
  
Hope shot Fiona a glare. "More so than you can even imagine." Fiona sat down at the table in the middle of the kitchen and propped her head up with her hands, waiting for Hope to continue. Hope sighed. "He kissed me."  
  
Fiona's eyes widened. "He kissed you?"  
  
"After Dora ended things with him. I ran into him at the edge of Hogsmeade and he started spewing all this shit about how Dora had chucked him so he and I could figure out whatever we had because apparently I'm 'it' for him."  
  
"What'd you do?"  
  
"I slapped him," Hope said. "And told him we could never happen. And that I don't think of him like that."  
  
Fiona nodded. "You should probably bring those pastries over here and sit with me."  
  
Hope laughed a little. "Okay," she said, pulling a tray of cakes from the fridge to set between them on the table. She sat down opposite of Fiona. "I don't know what to do, Fi."  
  
"How do you feel?"  
  
Hope laughed again. "Hell if I know. He's James Potter—"  
  
"Hope," Fiona said, cutting her off. "Stop with the hippogriff shit. How do you feel?"  
  
Hope couldn't look at Fiona. "I miss him." There was a short pause, and then she added, "So much."  
  
"You guys were getting pretty close," Fiona commented, picking up a cake and taking a bite.  
  
"He was..." she paused, looking for the words. "He was like you."  
  
"Like me?"  
  
Hope furrowed her brow, trying to explain herself. "The way I felt about him. It was like I feel about you. It was easy. And good. And..." she paused again, finding words very difficult.   
  
"And you clicked?" Fiona supplied.   
  
"Yes," Hope said. "We just worked so well. I wanted to tell him everything, just as it happened. We could communicate without even saying anything. We were always on the same page and I just wanted to spend all my time with him."  
  
"Have you ever considered that you may be in love with him too?" Fiona asked.   
  
"What?" Hope said. "No! I'm not in love with James."  
  
"What you just described is exactly how I feel about Louis."  
  
Hope let out a squeak and slammed her head into the tabletop. "I can't be in love with James."  
  
"Stop saying that you can't. Take Dora out of the picture."  
  
"That's the thing, Dora is the picture," Hope said, picking her head up. "James wouldn't even be in my life if not for her."  
  
"She dumped him so he could figure things out with you, right?" Fiona asked.   
  
"Maybe?" Hope said. "James wasn't making sense that day, I don't know."  
  
"Have you asked her?"  
  
"Of course not!"  
  
Fiona sighed. "Hope."  
  
"When I fell in love, there was supposed to be magic," Hope said. "He was supposed to sweep me off my feet, leave me breathless. Not enraged on the outskirts of Hogsmeade."  
  
"Love doesn't work like Muggle fairy tales, Hope," Fiona said. "It leaves you angry and confused and sometimes in your knickers in the Shrieking Shack. But it does leave you breathless and excited..." Fiona looked at Hope and gave her a small smile. "When was the last time you felt like you could really breathe anyway?"  
  
Hope buried her face in her hands. "Damnit, Fi..."  
  
Fiona reached across the table and grabbed Hope's arm to comfort her. Hope looked up to see that Fiona was passing her a sweet and let out a wet chuckle, accepted the treat from her, and took a bite.


	31. I Am Just Terrified to Love You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It was your Auditory Monitoring Shift! You left your post with a careless disregard for consequences!"

"Thee!" Carley said, catching up to the older girl in the corridor. "There you are, I've been looking for you."  
  
  
Dorothy looked at Carley curiously. "You have?"  
  
"Yes," she replied. "I have to ask you something awful, and before you get upset, just know that this was Albus's idea."  
  
Dorothy raised an eyebrow. "Alright?"  
  
Carley took a breath, already feeling the blush creep into her cheeks. "Albus has decided that James is supposed to end up with Hope Jacobs. But because James is your ex, and recent ex at that, I told him there was no chance Hope would go near him unless you explicitly said that it was okay, so he asked me to ask you if you'll help us get them together." She forced a smile. "Please?"  
  
Dorothy blinked. She opened her mouth once to reply, then closed it. Finally, she managed, "What?"  
  
Carley's smile faltered. "Please don't make me say all that again."  
  
"You want _me_ to help you and Albus get Hope and James together?"  
  
The smile dropped from Carley's face. "I know, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked—"  
  
"Of course I'll help you," Dorothy said quickly, before she could be talked out of it.   
  
Carley's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"  
  
Dorothy bit her lip, then nodded. "Yeah. I mean, they are pretty perfect for each other, right? And they're my friends. James and I didn't work, but that doesn't mean Hope should miss out on him."  
  
Carley's face brightened. "Yeah! Meet Albus and I in the Room of Requirement at lunch? I think he wants to do this tonight."  
  
"Tonight?" Dorothy asked.   
  
"Yeah," Carley said. "It's been two weeks since you and James broke up, and Albus said something about strangling James if he had to watch him mope any longer?"  
  
Dorothy faked a chuckle. "Ah. Okay, that works."  
  
Carley grinned. "Awesome! See you later, Thee!"  
  
As the girl scurried off, Dorothy nodded to herself. Getting Hope and James together had been the plan all along, right? This was fine. She was fine.   
  
***  
  
"Hello, gorgeous," Albus said as he caught up to Hope in the corridor and slid his hand in hers.  
  
Hope couldn't help but grin. "Albus!"  
  
"It's been a while since I've seen you, sweetie," he said as they continued walking.   
  
"And who's fault is that?" Hope teased. "I've been around, you're just too busy for little old me these days."  
  
Albus gasped. "Well, I never!"  
  
Hope laughed and kissed his cheek. "But you know I can't stay mad at that face too long."  
  
Albus grinned. "Perfect. How do you feel about an adventure?"  
  
"An adventure?" Hope asked. "What exactly does an Albus Potter adventure entail?"  
  
He smirked. "Oh, Hopie dear, that would ruin all the fun!" He tugged slightly on her arm towards a staircase on their left. "Come along, Jacobs."  
  
***  
  
Carley was cursing Albus Potter in her head as she stared at James from the opposite side of the Gryffindor Common Room. How was she supposed to get James to the Room of Requirement by herself?  
  
"Carley, I swear if you've fallen for both my brothers, I may have to reconsider our friendship," Lily teased as she sat at the table with her best friend.   
  
"I need James to come with me to the Room of Requirement," Carley said without turning her head to look at Lily.  
  
"Why?"  
  
Carley turned to Lily and sighed. "Albus, Thee, and I are getting Hope and James together."  
  
Lily raised an eyebrow. "You're plotting with Albus? You don't even plot with me!"  
  
"Well I don't want to have your babies, do I?" Carley grumbled. "Stupid _pretty_ boy."  
  
"You know, I could help you," Lily said.   
  
"Albus said not to involve anyone in the family, at any cost."  
  
"So what's your plan?" Carley stared at her blankly, then shook a red curtain of hair in front of her face to hide behind. "Exactly," Lily continued. "Al will get over it. I'm helping."  
  
"Lily, no—"  
  
"Oi, James!" Lily called, already walking over to her brother. Carley groaned in frustration as she quickly followed Lily.  
  
"What do you want?" James asked, not bothering to look up from the stack of parchment in front of him. "I'm working."  
  
"Yeah, whatever," Lily said. "Bring it, we're going to the Room of Requirement."  
  
James rolled his eyes. "No."  
  
"James, don't be a prat."  
  
"I'm not being a prat, you're being a prat," he said.  
  
“Your face is a prat.”  
  
"Why do you need me to go with you to the Room of Requirement? You’re competent...ish. You know how to get in."  
  
"Potter family meeting. Urgent stuff. Albus is waiting for us."  
  
James groaned. "You guys need to stop calling Potter family meetings and not telling me," he grumbled, gathering up the parchment around him. "And before you even try, we're not telling Al about that thing you found out because you're a brat of a sister who sticks her nose where it doesn't belong."  
  
Lily rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, you really should though. You know how he gets when he's left out."  
  
"He'll live. Let's go. Hi, Carley."  
  
"She's coming too, honorary Potter," Lily said quickly, leading the way out of the common room. He rolled his eyes and shrugged.   
  
Carley looked at James with wide eyes. "Hi."  
  
***  
  
"Carley!" Albus groaned. "What the hell is _Lily_ doing here? You had one job."  
  
“Shut your gob, Albus,” Lily snapped. “I'm saving your poorly thought out plan.”  
  
“My plan was fabulous,” Al shot back.   
  
“Oh, really? Was part of it Carley staring at James for twenty minutes in the Common Room? No? You're welcome.”  
  
"Wait, what?" James asked. "Lily said there was a Potter family meeting."  
  
"Yeah, totally," Albus said, opening the door to the Room of Requirement. "You first."  
  
James looked at his siblings suspiciously. "Why?"  
  
"You're the eldest," Lily said. "Enter the room by age order, duh. Follow the rules, James."  
  
"That has never been a rule," he shot back.  
  
"Well it is now, it was in the Potter Family Newsletter, along with the Meeting Time. I honestly don't know why I bother with you," Lily rambled, shoving her brother into the room.  
  
James rolled his eyes. "You're mental," he said. He froze as his eyes landed on Hope, who was sitting on the ground in the room. "Albus—" he said, whirling around, just to have the door shut in his face.  
  
"You're pathetic, Potter, stooping this low," Hope said, her voice venomous.  
  
James turned to her, clearly annoyed. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Me," Dorothy piped up, waving from where she stood against the wall. "She means getting me involved. Even though you had no idea this was happening either."  
  
"Dorothy," he replied, now feeling extremely uncomfortable. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Your brother," Dorothy responded simply. "Well, technically Carley asked, but it was Al’s idea to get me to help in the first place."  
  
"Help with what?" Hope asked.   
  
"Getting you together," Dorothy said simply.   
  
Hope felt guilt seep through her entire body. "Dora—"  
  
"Hope," Dorothy silenced her. "Stop giving me that guilty look of yours."  
  
"But it's my fault you and James broke up," Hope said, looking down.  
  
"Hope, love," Dorothy said with a small smirk. "I promise you that if I was still in love with James, I would still be with James." Hope looked up, a mix of emotions on her pale face. Dorothy’s demeanor softened as she continued, "You're one of my best friends, but I would've gone down fighting you for him if I'd wanted to. James and I would have broken up anyway, you just...helped it along,” she finished with a shrug.   
  
"Yeah, what she said," James piped in.   
  
Dorothy shot James a look. "Don't try to help me," she said. He shrunk back, looking likens disciplined child. She turned back to Hope and continued, "I knew what I was doing, and I had my reasons. So stop worrying about being a good friend, and have an actual conversation with the idiot. You might understand why so many people have decided locking you up in a room together was a good idea."  
  
Hope watched Dorothy leave the room and close the door gently behind her with a click. James took a moment to look at Hope. She looked a bit of a mess with her red hair falling from her ponytail, where she had most likely pulled it from anxiety, and his jumper. He rolled his eyes. Of course she'd be in his jumper, in case he'd forgotten just how much he liked her.  
  
A few moments passed and she began to chew on the inside of her cheek, refusing to be the one to break the heavy silence.  
  
"So..." he began.   
  
"Don't speak," she snapped.   
  
James glared at her. "They're not going to let us out until we talk, Jacobs."  
  
"I think we did quite enough talking after the meeting last week."  
  
James pursed his lips and nodded. "Still sore I see."  
  
Hope shot him a look as she sat back down on the floor against the wall. James rolled his eyes and walked over to the opposite wall, which he slid down until he was seated as well. "Fine by me," he said. He set the stack of parchment down with a loud smack against the floor and picked up the top packet. "I have exams to grade."  
  
***  
  
"They're not even speaking to each other," Lily said, leaning her head back against the wall of the corridor outside the Room of Requirement and letting the Extendable Ear fall back to the ground. "How sure are you of this plan, Al?"  
  
"Certain," he hissed.   
  
"Give it time," Dorothy said, her voice distant. "Hope won't be able to stand the silence for too long."  
  
"Well this isn't suspicious at all."  
  
Dorothy cursed inwardly at the voice, refusing to look up at it. "Hello, Fred," Albus said with a grin.   
  
Dorothy was going to smother Albus with a pillow.   
  
"Hello," Fred replied. "What are you all up to?"  
  
"Al's matchmaking again," Lily said calmly, checking out her fingernails. "Carls, what color should I paint these?"  
  
"Purple," Carley supplied, not looking up from the book in her lap.   
  
Lily thought for a moment and frowned. "Maybe."  
  
"Have any of you seen James?" Fred said, ignoring the girl's conversation. "He was supposed to meet me half an hour ago."  
  
"Who do you think is _in_ the matchmaking dungeon, Freddie?" Lily said, comparing a purple polish she'd pulled from her satchel with a lime green one.   
  
Dorothy could feel Fred's eyes on her as she picked at a fraying string from her sock. " _You're_ playing matchmaker for James?" he asked, and Dorothy knew from his new, icy tone that his question was directed more at her presence than Albus's meddling.   
  
"Yeah, so?" she found herself replying. Dorothy knew she didn't want to look up at him, but before she could stop herself their eyes had met and the familiar ache was back in the center of her chest.  
  
He looked as though he wanted to say more to her but didn't know where to start. If Dorothy had to guess, he was probably wondering what the hell had motivated her to be sitting outside of this room where the boy she'd lost everything for was getting together with her best friend. It was a pretty good question.  
  
He broke the eye contact first.  
  
"If I paint mine purple, can I paint yours green?" Lily asked Carley.  
  
Carley rolled her eyes. "If it'll shut you up, sure."  
  
"Deal," Lily said, unscrewing the lime green paint as she snatched Carley's right hand.  
  
Fred didn't say anything, but he dropped his bag by Albus's empty side—as far away from Dorothy as possible—then slid down the wall beside him. He leaned his head against the chilly stone, having resigned to the typical antics of his family. "How long have they been in there,” he asked, nudging his cousin with his knee.  
  
"Eh, maybe half an hour?”  
  
"Ah, so we've got a while yet," Fred replied, pulling out a bundle of parchment.  
  
"Whatcha working on?" Al asked.  
  
"Label for that new explosive I tested out on Rox," Fred grinned. Dorothy bit her lip and shifted her gaze back to her hands in her lap, remembering all the late nights they had spent with him bouncing ideas for new products off of her.  
  
 _Dorothy was sitting at the head of Fred's bed in a pair of his old pants, aiming a crisp at the top of his head, which was bent over a piece of parchment he was furiously sketching on. She released it with a grin.  
  
"Almost—" his voice stopped as the crisp bounced off his head and landed on the page he was working on. He lifted his head and glared at her, trying to hold in a chuckle. She tinkled a wave, smiling broadly. "Did you just throw a crisp at me?"  
  
"No, definitely not," she replied, fighting off giggles.  
  
He rolled his eyes. "You're supposed to be helping me, Dor."  
  
"You stopped asking for help when I inspired you 20 minutes ago by saying orange and bomb in the same sentence, Freddo," she shot back.  
  
Freddie smirked. "Sorry that being my muse isn't more glamorous and entertaining."  
  
"I'm your muse now?" she asked.  
  
“Duh."_  
  
It seemed he didn't need her at all anymore.  
  
***  
  
Hope glared at James, who was still sitting peacefully on the other side of the room grading papers for Drexel. They'd been sitting there in silence for a stupidly long time, and she had firmly decided she was never speaking to Albus again. Or Thee. And whoever else was sitting out there. This situation was stupid. James was stupid. Everything was stupid.  
  
James looked up in agitation as she sighed dramatically for the sixth time in the past three minutes. "What," he said flatly.  
  
Hope took a steadying breath before responding, "This is stupid."  
  
James rolled his eyes and went back to his papers. "Yup. That's Albus for you."  
  
" _Oi!_ " Albus shouted through the door.  
  
"Oi yourself, arsehole!" Hope shouted back. "There will be no more kisses for you, Albus!"  
  
 _At least something good will come out of this_ , James thought to himself.  
  
It was silent for a moment, and then James reminded her, "They won't let us out until we talk."  
  
Hope rolled her eyes. "Why, is that the deal you made with them?"  
  
James could feel his temper rising. "No," he snapped. "But I've been _outside_ that door, and I know how the game works. They lock us in here, we talk and get ourselves figured out, they let us out if they're pleased with the results. Teddy and Vic took almost four hours."  
  
Hope groaned and leaned her head back into the wall. "I hate your family. And Dora."  
  
James sighed. "It's up to you how long we sit in here."  
  
"I wish I'd never met you," Hope snarled. "My life was easier then. No one cared about the ginger Hufflepuff Quidditch Captain, I was never locked in a room because a _troll_ of a sixth year decided that I needed to 'talk' to his brother, and the entirety of Gryffindor didn't _plot_ about my life!"  
  
James pursed his lips before he retorted, "Sorry to have been such an inconvenience."  
  
"You should be!" she cried.  
  
"If you're just going to be a shrew, I'm going back to work," James said, turning back to his papers.  
  
Hope's nostrils flared with her rage. "I thought we had to _talk_ , arsehole."  
  
James looked up from his parchment with an annoyed expression on his face. "Maybe I don't really want to talk to you right now. How's that for inconvenient?"  
  
***  
  
"They're bloody hopeless," Fred said.  
  
"They need to stop fighting," Lily corrected. "She's pushing James's buttons."  
  
"She knows," Dorothy piped up. Albus, Fred, Lily, and Carley all turned to the girl who'd been silent for the past hour. "Trust me, she's avoiding her feelings. She's not stupid. She knows if she keeps him mad at her, she won't have to talk to him."  
  
"Longbottom!" Dorothy looked up to see Fiona hurrying down the corridor towards her. "Have you seen Hope? We had a cupcake date about twenty minutes ago and— _what are you lot doing?_ "  
  
"Hope's in the Room of Requirement with James," Dorothy answered. "Matchmaking. Happens more often than you'd think."  
  
Fiona plopped down beside Dorothy. "About time someone did something about those two. Anyone have any snacks?"  
  
"I'll run to the kitchens with you, Fi," Fred volunteered.  
  
Fiona's face hardened, and she made eye contact with Dorothy. Dorothy swallowed the lump in her throat and gave Fiona a quick nod. Fiona sighed. "Alright, Weasel."  
  
Freddie hopped to his feet and strode over to where the Hufflepuff girls were sitting. Without sparing a glance to Dorothy, he stuck a hand out and pulled Fiona up. Fiona cast Dorothy a guilty look over her shoulder, but Dorothy waved her off. The two then headed down the corridor together.   
  
"Maybe you two are the ones who should be locked in a room until you talk everything out," Albus grumbled once Fred and Fiona were out of sight.  
  
Dorothy shook her head. "Let it go, Al." She already had.   
  
***  
  
Fred and Fiona were walking in a heavy silence down the corridor. He could feel the irritation radiating off her body in waves. "Fi—"  
  
"What is _wrong_ with you?" she demanded without even looking at him.  
  
"I wanted to talk to you."  
  
Her head whipped around to shoot him a glare. "So you have to go and upset Dorothy while you do it? Merlin, Weasley, she's one of my best mates and she's supposed to be yours...you'd think you'd give a shit about her feelings."  
  
Fred felt a stab of guilt in his gut.  "I—"  
  
"Yes, I know, you ended your relationship with her, but that doesn't give you permission to be a cock about it."  
  
"Why am I the bad guy, Fiona?" Fred demanded. "Dorothy wasn't perfect either, she's just as much to blame as I am!"  
  
"You abandoned her!"  
  
"She didn't come after me!" They'd stopped walking and were shouting at each other from opposite sides of the corridor. She cocked an eyebrow at him, crossing her arms over her chest. "Damnit, Fiona, it's been _weeks_. About two months have gone by and she hasn't tried to talk to me, tried to fix anything, tried to apologize—"  
  
"What does she have to apologize for?!"  
  
"She picked James!"  
  
"Because you forced her to! You were gone!"  
  
Fred rolled his eyes. "I was never _gone_ , Fiona. I was merely...removed."  
  
"She couldn't even say your name, Weasley. You left her sobbing in a train car. Whether you were gone or not, she thought you burned that bridge and would never look back, which is exactly how you've been acting."  
  
"Sorry I wanted more than a drunk 'I miss you' to start talking to her again! It's selfish, but it's true."  
  
"She told you she missed you?" Fiona asked.  
  
Fred sighed and rubbed his neck. "After the Gryffindor party. She wrote it in the journals." He paused, then continued, "I need things to be different, Fiona. I can't go back to what we had."  
  
Fiona shook her head. "If you don't do something, there'll be nothing left to go back to."  
  
"I don't know what to do yet," he said as he walked towards her. "I don't know what I want."  
  
"She just wants _you_."  
  
"I'm not sure how much I can give her this time," he replied. "I can't spend the rest of my life pining after someone who will only ever see me as a friend. I need to figure out my limits."  
  
Fiona sighed. "You might want to get on that." She started walking towards the kitchen again, Freddie close on her tail.  
  
"Nothing else you want to say to me?" he asked.  
  
"I'm not apologizing for yelling at you," Fiona said flatly.  
  
Fred nodded. “Alright then.” There was a pause as they reached the door of the kitchens. “Can we at least agree that you’ll let me explain my side before you go ballistic on me about Dor?”  
  
Fiona chuckled. “No, sir.” She reached forward and tickled the pear in the painting, then opened the door. “I’m a Hufflepuff, Weasley. Loyal to a fault. I’m going to be on her side, right or wrong, because she’s my best mate. Same reason why Hope is being a difficult little minx in the Room of Requirement right now and Dorothy’s outside with the rest of us. We put everyone else before ourselves, something I’ll one day do for you when you become one of my best mates, which you’re well on your way to being. It’s what friends do.”  
  
Fred rolled his eyes and followed Fiona into the kitchen. “Bloody Puffs.”  
  
“And proud of it!”  
  
***  
  
“Hello, family,” Rose drawled in a voice that was tinged with amusement. “You all look as though you’re plotting.”  
  
“Nothing gets past you, Rosie,” Albus retorted with a grin.  
  
“Watch the sass, Potter, I can fillet you.”  
  
He beamed up at his best mate. “You’d be bored without me.”  
  
“You lock James and Hope in there to fulfill your delusions about destiny?” Rose asked as she slid down the wall next to Al.  
  
“Fred was sitting there,” Albus said with a pout.  
  
Rose rolled her eyes. “Fred will live. You going to answer my question?”  
  
Albus shot her a look. “I don’t have delusions. I have _missions_.”  
  
Rose laughed. “Merlin, Al, you sound like one of Lily’s smutty novels.”  
  
“You like those books just as much as I do, Rose,” Lily commented casually.  
  
Rose shot her cousin a toothy grin. “I appreciate their attention to... _detail_.”  
  
“Rose, please stop,” Albus groaned as he buried his face in his hands.  
  
She snorted. “Prude.”  
  
“We come bearing gifts of sustenance!” Fiona exclaimed excitedly as Fred pushed her down the corridor on a cart overloaded with food. She was perched on the top, holding a plate on her lap, while the bottom was threatening to spill out a variety of pastries, crisps, rolls, and anything else that could possibly satisfy the cravings of a hungry meddling teenager.  
  
“Bloody hell, Fiona,” Rose commented. “Is there anything left down there?”  
  
Fiona stared blankly at Rose before responding, “I take snacks very seriously, Weasley.”  
  
“Did I get the wrong meeting time?” Roxanne asked, who had entered the corridor with Hugo by her side. “I swear the Newsletter said next week.”  
  
“Apparently it’s a family gathering now,” Albus grumbled, reaching up onto the plate Fiona was holding to snag a biscuit.  
  
“Unofficial business, Rox. Albus is matchmaking again,” Lily said with a smile. “Want me to paint your nails?”  
  
“Sure,” Roxanne responded happily.  
  
“Is there really a newsletter?” Fiona asked, but none of them responded.  
  
“Who’s in there?” Hugo asked, changing the subject, as he took a large bite out of a muffin.  
  
“James and Hope Jacobs,” Rose replied. “Who else?”  
  
Hugo looked from his sister to Dorothy, who was sitting silently against the wall with a book in her lap. “Oh.”  
  
Fiona hopped off the cart and returned to her spot beside Dorothy. “I stole an eclair for you,” she said, pulling out the treat from inside her coat and handing it to the blonde. “They’re your favorite, right?”  
  
Dorothy took the treat and smiled at Fiona. “Yes, thank you.”  
  
“I got you, Longbottom,” she responded.  
  
“Is everyone here?”  
  
Fiona looked over at the huddle of redheads, Fred, Roxanne, and Albus, then nodded. “I think so?”  
  
“What the hell is going on?” Lucy Weasley asked as she entered the hallway. “Are you guys having a stakeout or something?”  
  
“Lucy!” Lily said excitedly. “I knew we were missing someone!”  
  
“We’re matchmaking James and Hope Jacobs,” Rose explained, not bothering to look up from the snack she was eating. “Albus is on a ‘destiny kick’ again.”  
  
Lucy rolled her eyes. “And you all wonder why I don’t hang out with the family. It’s because you guys are so bloody weird. Normal humans don’t _do this_.”  
  
“Luce, there’s food,” Hugo said with a grin.  
  
“So? You’ve kidnapped people. This is _creepy_ and _invasive_.”  
  
Albus frowned. “No snacks for mean cousins.”  
  
Lucy cocked an eyebrow at him and stole three cookies from the cart. “As if, Al.” She sighed and shook her head. “Whatever. Try not to get detention, guys.”  
  
Dorothy chuckled at Fiona’s surprised expression as Lucy strolled away. “What, you didn’t think all of them were mental, did you?”  
  
“There’s one black sheep in every family,” Lily shrugged, as she unscrewed the top of her hot pink polish to start on Roxanne’s fingernails.  
  
***  
  
Hope released an animalistic sound of anger. James looked up in surprise. “What the hell was that?”  
  
"I was _fine_ before! And then you came in and ruined everything!"  
  
"That's what you think of me, huh?" James asked. "That I'm just a giant screw up?"  
  
Hope shot him a humorless grin as she rose to her feet. "Well, look at your track record, Potter! First you drive a Ravenclaw bloody insane after you cheat on her twice, then you drive your best mate and the girl you're supposed to be in love with apart, and now you've gone and butchered any sort of friendship we may have had because you can't keep your bloody _feelings_ to yourself about anyone!"  
  
"Yes, thank you, Hope, I've fucked up," he snapped, standing as well. "I am well aware of the shit I've caused, but at least I'm bloody _trying!_ "  
  
Hope turned to face him, arms crossed over her chest. "And what the bloody hell is _that_ crack supposed to mean?"  
  
"Hope Jacobs, the one date wonder!" James announced, spreading his arms. "You'll go out with anyone who asks because you feel _sorry_ for them, and then critique them until you find something wrong so you don't have to go out with them again. How many people do you think you've hurt with that closed-off game you play?"  
  
"Just because I go out with a bunch of blokes doesn't make me closed off," Hope snapped. "I don't pull people along and make them fall in love with me just in time for me to fall in love with someone else!"  
  
"Is that what you're scared of?" he demanded, walking towards her. "That if you let yourself be with me and love me that I'll leave you for some other bird? Trust me, Hope, there's—"  
  
"I'm not scared of anything!" she shot back, cutting off his words and pushing him away from her. "I don't want to be with you!  
  
"You're arrogant and self absorbed, not to mention watching you eat is utterly disgusting and you should be fatter with all the food you shovel down your throat," she snapped.  
  
James was equal parts furious and confused. "Is that so?" he snapped anyway. "Well, I—"  
  
"I'm not _done_ ," Hope snarled. "The way you try to live up to this crazy idea you have of honoring your family name when you're already stupidly noble is just _annoying_. You put all this weight on yourself because you think you have to be someone and it's _dumb_ , because your famous father and your definition of perfect mother will love you no matter what. You're very tall and that bothers me. And you always smell fabulous." As she ranted, James's fury began to subside. He knew _exactly_ what she was trying to do. "—your hair is stupid. Seriously, you should invest in a damn comb.  
  
"It'd be nice if you could fail an exam or two, you're brilliant, we get it, put your magical abilities away." she continued, not noticing him beginning to smile at her. "I hate the way you fly; it's annoying and pretentious, just like you. And your jumpers look ridiculously comfortable--”  
  
“Well, you should know, considering you’re wearing one.”  
  
Hope’s words faltered on her tongue. “No, no...this is Albus’s jumper. From when he walked me home after the Gryffindor party.”  
  
“Albus didn’t walk you home, Hope,” James said. “I did.”  
  
Hope’s heart began to race from anxiety. “But I was with him and the jumper--”  
  
“Has ‘J.P.’ written on the tag.”  
  
“I thought that was a brand...oh, Merlin, what did I say to you?” Tears were pressing at the corners of her eyes as she tried to will herself to remember. “Bloody hell--”  
  
“Whoa, Hope,” James said, realizing how upset she was getting. He tried to walk towards her, but she turned away. He reached out and grabbed her upper arm. “It’s fine, you were _fine._ ”  
  
“Tell me what happened,” she demanded, walking out of his grasp.  
  
James sighed. “You took your dress off and told me I smelled like sex under the stars.”  
  
She cursed loudly and whirled around. “Why didn’t you tell me?!”  
  
“Why are you yelling at me?” he asked, exasperated. “You assumed it was Al and I didn’t think it was a big deal.”  
  
“You saw me in my underwear! That’s a big deal!” Hope ran her hands through her hair with a groan. “Just because it’s not a big deal for you to take your clothes off doesn’t mean it’s not for other people!”  
  
“What’s that supposed to mean?” James demanded. “Are you mad at me because I’ve had sex?”  
  
Hope looked at him and scoffed. “No, you idiot.”  
  
“Then what?” James pressed. “Scared because you haven’t?”  
  
“I’m not the kind of girl who’s going to throw her panties at you because you’re James Potter.”  
  
“And you think Dorothy was?”  
  
“No,” she said. “Of course not. But you guys did stuff...you guys--”  
  
“I never slept with Dorothy, Hope.”  
  
Hope’s gaze snapped to his face. “You didn’t?”  
  
“No,” he said. “It’s not like I go after girls to hop in their skirts, Hope. And if I did, I can guarantee I wouldn’t be going after you.”  
  
“So now you’re saying you don’t want to get in my skirt?”  
  
“Stop it,” James said, running his hands through his messy hair in his frustration. He walked towards her, and the serious look on his face caused her to back away from him with each step he took. “Stop twisting my words because you’re scared to have this talk and you think that riling me up will get you out of it.”  
  
Hope blinked in surprise. “I’m--”  
  
“Save it, Hope. I know you. I’m in love with you for Merlin’s sake.” Her back hit the wall and her breath hitched in her throat. James took another step towards her. “Why are you so scared?”  
  
“I’m not--”  
  
“Yes, you are,” he cut her off, closing the gap between them. “You’re terrified. So am I. I’ve...I’ve never felt like this about anything or anyone.”  
  
“That’s what you said to Jen and what you said to Dorothy,” Hope responded. “How do I know that in three months you won’t be saying that to some other girl?”  
  
James pressed her body back into the wall. He didn’t speak, merely reached up and grabbed her face with both hands and laid his lips on hers. Hope reached up and grasped weakly at his biceps as he moved his mouth over hers.  
  
Suddenly, James felt her shove him away. “Are you even listening to me?” she demanded.  
  
“You’re it for me, Hope, I’ve told you before and I will tell you every day for the rest of our lives if I have to.”  
  
Her eyes widened and she walked away from the wall. “The rest of our lives? James, calm down, you can’t propose marriage to someone you’ve never even taken on a date! That’s _mental!_ ”  
  
“You want to know how you can trust how I won’t be saying this stuff to someone else in three months--”  
  
“That doesn’t mean you go talking about the rest of our lives! I mean, what am I supposed to say to that--” She hadn’t realized he had closed the space between them again until she was wrapped up in his embrace once more and he was kissing her and her thoughts mixed up and fell away to be replaced with only the desire for _him_ and the need for _more._  
  
“Stop talking,” he said, pressing his forehead against hers. Their noses rubbed together as he tried to seek out her lips again.  
  
“You can’t just kiss me to shut me up. That’s insulting.”  
  
“I can kiss you whenever I want, it’s the perks of having you as my girlfriend.”  
  
“What are you talking about? I never--” James was kissing her again. “James,” she protested.  
  
“We’re going to date now, okay, Hope?”  
  
Her eyes frantically searched his. “But--”  
  
He kissed her again. “We’re dating.”  
  
Her breathing was labored and uneven, and she nodded. “I guess that’s alright.”  
  
“You guess?” He lifted her off the ground and slammed her back against the wall and took her mouth again, taking the kiss deeper than before. Hope clutched him desperately as he stroked a flame deep in her belly, wanting more, wanting _him._  
  
Her lips followed his when he finally pulled back, centuries later. A smug smirk slid onto his features. “You guess?”  
  
Hope’s eyes opened and she shook her head. “Not fair.” She buried a hand in the hair on the back of his head and pulled gently to angle his mouth perfectly for her to cover with her own. Her legs tightened around his waist. She devoured him without restraint, smiling as his arms tightened around her and his response to her turned desperate. She pulled back and both were panting in the embrace.  
  
She smirked back at him. “Oh, this is going to be fun.”  
  
He couldn’t help but grin. “Finally you say something that makes sense.”  
  
She flicked his ear. “Shut up, Potter. No one asked for your opinion.”  
  
“As you wish,” he said, kissing her once again.  
  
***  
  
Outside the Room of Requirement, the Weasley-Potter clan was having a pretty good time. They'd been sitting outside a relatively silent matchmaking session for almost five hours at this point, but were making due with the company and plethora of food before them. Carley shot a glance over to Albus, who was speaking rapidly and red-faced to Rose, who had a look of severe concentration on her face, and sighed. He was adorable.  
  
"Carls, are you listening to me?" Lily asked.   
  
Carley snapped her gaze back to Lily's face. "Huh?"  
  
Lily laughed and turned to look at her brother. "Oh, he must not like what Rose is telling—wait, he’s abandoned his battle station! He's not _listening_ to James and Hope anymore!" She jumped up and picked up the end of the Extendable Ear Albus had forgotten about from the ground and put it in her own ear and heard... _zero sounds whatsoever._  
  
"Lily, what are you—" Albus began.  
  
"It's silent in there," Lily cut him off. "It was _your_ Auditory Monitoring Shift! You left your post with a careless disregard for consequences!"  
  
"Sorry, Lil, I distracted him with a new... _puzzle_ of mine," Rose commented offhandedly.   
  
"Why? Albus is awful at puzzles," Lily retorted. “And apparently at doing his familial duty!”  
  
“Merlin, calm down, Lils,” Fred said, his voice tinged with humor.  
  
“What if she’s killed him,” she stated matter-of-factly.  
  
"Give me that," Albus said, snatching the Ear from his sister. He glared at Rose as he shoved it back in his own ear. "We are not done with this conversation."  
  
Rose sighed dramatically. "If only I were so lucky. Do we need to clean up a murder or not? I have some spells I'd love to try if we do, they’re great for blood removal."  
  
Albus rolled his eyes, having learned it’s better not to question Rose. "I don't hear anything either. Should we open the door? Check?"  
  
Lily shrugged. "All you, brother dearest."  
  
Albus sighed heavily and stood. “What if she hexes me?”  
  
Rose smirked. “Oh, I’m counting on that.”  
  
Albus glared at her and placed his hand on the doorknob, then took a breath.  
  
“What, what’s happened? Don’t we get to vote?” Hugo asked, sounding alarmed.  
  
“Merlin, Hugo, you never pay attention,” Albus said, rolling his eyes. “It’s very quiet in there, we’re just checking--”  
  
“To make sure James isn’t bleeding out?” Freddie finished with a chuckle.  
  
“Yeah, pretty much.” Albus opened the door and peeked his head in, scanning the room for mass carnage. What he saw instead still made him sick to his stomach, but in a much happier way. James was sitting against the wall, his large stack of parchment strewn across the floor beside him, obviously having been tossed aside when Hope had straddled his lap to snog him, as she was currently doing. Her hands were lost in his shaggy black hair as she kept him pressed against her, leading the kiss down a slow and sensual path. James had one arm wrapped fully around her waist while the other had slid lower, allowing his hand to have a firm hold on her butt.  
  
Albus coughed as loudly as he could, unable to hide his enormous smug grin as the two slowly pulled apart and stared at him, not moving from their compromising position. “Would you two _lovebirds_ like to come out now?”  
  
Hope turned back to James and smiled, climbing off of him. “Would you like to escort me on our first official date to the kitchens because your _troll_ of a brother has been starving us for five hours?”  
  
James grinned back. “I would love to.”  
  
They both stood and walked towards the door. James caught her hand in his, and she couldn’t help but smile.  
  
“You lot had all this food the _whole time?_ ” James asked as his eyes landed on the snack cart right outside the door.  
  
“That has Fi written all over it,” Hope grumbled. Fiona laughed, and Hope shot her a glare. “I don’t like you very much, Little.”  
  
“Oh, bollocks,” she retorted.  
  
“Let’s go,” James said, pulling her towards the kitchens.  
  
“Wait,” Hope replied, letting go of James hand to walk over to Dorothy, who was standing against the corridor wall a few feet away. “You’re...you’re sure you’re alright with this?” she asked quietly.  
  
Dorothy knew from the look in Hope’s eyes that with one word from her, Hope would end things with James, no questions asked. Instead, she reached out and grabbed Hope’s hand. “I want you to be happy. So...yes. I promise I’m alright with this.”  
  
Hope threw herself into Dorothy's arms. "Thank you," she whispered into Dorothy's ear. "You are truly the most amazing friend."


	32. I Just Need Some Space

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Of course Fred knows, I told you he and I caught up."
> 
> "Oh, you mean your super girly feelings chat to reinvigorate your bromance?"

As much as Dorothy wanted to see Hope and James together, she never really put much thought into what seeing Hope and James together would entail. So after a week of watching them prancing down corridors and sneaking off in giggles with mischievous glints in their eyes, Dorothy found herself filling with a heavy resentment and annoyance.  
  
“You should sit with us today, Dora,” Hope said from her seat on her four poster, trying to swallow the guilt that would eat her alive every time she looked at her blonde friend. Dorothy looked up at Hope, her brow furrowed with displeasure at the idea of sitting at the Gryffindor House breakfast table. “They all miss you.”  
  
Dorothy scoffed softly and shook her head. “His house, his family. He has no interest in being near me, and I can respect that. They should too.”  
  
“Oh, come off it, Longbottom,” Fiona said, rolling her eyes. “You are just as much a part of that family as Fred is.”  
  
“I’m not,” Dorothy said, her voice harder than she meant. She looked up and saw a mix of surprise and uncertainty pulling at their faces. She sighed. “Just...drop it, alright? I’m just grabbing toast or something today anyways, I’m meeting my dad in the greenhouses.”  
  
“You can’t just hide out in the greenhouses, Longbottom,” Fiona said. “You’ve eaten every meal in there for two days.”  
  
“Maybe I want to spend some time with my dad, Fi,” Dorothy snapped. “Is that _alright_ with you? Or should I tell my father that I have to cancel my plans with him because my friends are making a fuss?”  
  
Before Fiona could even respond, Dorothy had stormed from the room, leaving Hope and Fiona behind in silence. Hope sighed heavily and sank into her fourposter. “I’ve gone and buggered everything up.”  
  
“Oh, sod off,” Fiona said, rolling her eyes. “That’s not you, that’s all her. You did the good mate thing, you stayed away. She was the one who shoved you into the Room of Requirement with him. You didn’t ask for James.”  
  
Hope looked up at Fiona and bit her lip. “Still.”  
  
“Still nothing,” Fiona said decisively. She held a hand out to Hope and pulled her up from the bed. “Let’s get to breakfast, I need at least half a muffin in my system before putting up with all those Gryffindors.”  
  
***  
  
“No luck with Dorothy?” James asked as he pressed a kiss to the top of Hope’s head and sat beside her.  
  
“Nope,” Hope replied. “Fiona even got shouted at for trying. Politely, but still.”  
  
“Merlin,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m sorry she’s being like this.”  
  
Hope shrugged. “What can you do?”  
  
“In more exciting news, over Easter, my cousin Vic is finally marrying Teddy,” James said, trying to distract Hope. “Would you like to accompany me?”  
  
Hope shot him a guilty smile. “I’m actually already going,” she said. “With Dora.”  
  
James blinked in surprise. “You are?”  
  
“Yeah, I mean,” she let out a half-hearted chuckle. “If she still wants to take me, of course.”  
  
“Morning,” Fred grunted as he plopped down in a seat opposite Fiona, Hope, and James. “What are you going on about today?”  
  
“Nothing in particular,” Hope said with a shrug. “How’s your morning, Freddie?”  
  
He shrugged, buttering a piece of toast casually. “Dunno. Alright, I guess. I’m just ready for holiday at this point.”  
  
“Lessons have never been so hard to attend,” Hope joked.  
  
“Oh, please,” Fiona said with a snort. “You always think lessons are hard to attend.”  
  
Hope shot Fiona a glare. “Not the point, Fi.” Fiona snickered. “After holiday, we have the final Quidditch match, exams, and then graduation! Can you believe how little time is left?”  
  
“Don’t talk about it,” Fiona groaned. “Unlike the rest of you, my future isn’t already set.”  
  
  
  
  
  
“Oi, mine’s not set,” Hope protested. “I have to get signed.”  
  
“You’re absolutely going to get signed,” James said, taking a large bite out of an apple.  
  
“You have to say that, you’re my boyfriend,” Hope said, rolling her eyes.  
  
“When do you hear from Healing Academy, Fi?” Freddie asked.  
  
“Soon,” she replied, nervousness evident in her voice. “Holiday or the week after, I believe.”  
  
“Cor, that _is_ soon,” Fred said.  
  
Fiona shot him a look. “Thanks for those reassuring words, Weasley.”  
  
He grinned at her through a mouth full of bread. “Anytime, sweetheart.” Crumbs flew out with his muffled words.   
  
Hope pulled a face and tossed a crumpled napkin at him. “Don't be disgusting.”  
  
“My dad has blocked out five hours of time during the holiday for a business meeting with me to plan everything post graduation,” Fred said after he swallowed. “I've got to prepare a presentation on my ideal outlook of both shop’s futures and two separate briefs for us to go through and edit based on each plan.”  
  
“How fun and joke shop-y,” Fiona said.   
  
“Behind the pranks is a business, Fi.”  
  
“Never would've guessed, Weasley.”  
  
“Simmer, dragon lady,” Hope instructed, flicking Fiona’s temple. Fiona yelped, batting Hope’s hand away from her head. “What about you, James?” Hope asked. “You should be hearing from the Academy over holiday too, right?”  
  
James and Fred made eye contact immediately as discomfort settled over the four of them. “Uh…” he began.  
  
“That's when, uh, Longbottom said she was hearing, right?” Fiona said but her tone made it evident that she was trying to push Hope’s cover story along.   
  
“Wait,” James said, looking directly at Hope. “Does Fiona know?”  
  
“Does Freddie know?”  
  
“Of course Fred knows, I told you he and I caught up.”  
  
“Oh, you mean your super girly feelings chat to reinvigorate your bromance?” Fiona asked, smirking at James. He narrowed his eyes at Hope, who flicked Fiona's head again. “What?!” she demanded. “He was the moron who asked if I knew!” She peered around Hope to make eye contact with James before saying, “It's best to come to terms with it now: I know everything. I will always know everything. You aren't just dating Hope, you're dating me. My favorite part of me.” Her eyes narrowed dangerously, and James's widened. “Don't bugger it up royally like you're so fond of doing.”  
  
There was a moment of silence before Freddie piped up, “So, bottom line, we all know about Professor Potter, right?”  
  
“Bloody hell, Fred, keep your voice down!” James snapped. “I'm really not supposed to have told anyone, and four people know!”  
  
“Who's number four?” Fiona asked.   
  
James shot another glare at his girlfriend. “ _Lily_.”  
  
Hope let out a guilty chuckle, and looked quickly to Fiona for help. Fiona shrugged, and Hope rolled her eyes before turning back to James with a smirk. “My, you are looking mighty _attractive_ today,” she said, leaning towards him and putting her hand high on his thigh.  
  
James blinked a few times before responding, “Uh, what?”  
  
Hope tilted her head and licked her lips. “Yeah,” she said, her voice low and soft. Fred raised his eyebrows, thoroughly amused. Fiona was trying hard to restrain her laughter. “How's about we go and skive off lessons for something a little more...interesting?”  
  
James was very aware of how high Hope’s hand was on his thigh and how close to him she was leaning and spluttered, “Um,” he swallowed thickly. “What did you have in mind?”  
  
“Come on, Potter, even you can’t be this dense,” Fiona snapped.  
  
James’s eyes flashed between Hope and Fiona for a moment before James exclaimed, “Oh!” He smirked at Hope. “ _Oh_.”  
  
Hope nodded. “Oh.”  
  
“Ohhhh,” Fiona and Fred teased.  
  
James quickly jumped to his feet and pulled Hope up with him. “See you lot later,” he said, before dragging a laughing Hope out of the Great Hall.  
  
After they’d gone, Fiona sighed. “Young love.” Fred snorted with laughter.  
  
***  
  
“Um, Thee?” Neville said as he watered plants on the opposite side of the greenhouse.  
  
She looked up from her plate of eggs. “Yeah, dad?”  
  
Neville looked slightly uncomfortable as he continued, “Not that I don’t love having meals with you all the time but,” he paused momentarily, trying to pick his words carefully. “Don’t your friends miss you?”  
  
Dorothy sighed and looked back down at her food. “I dunno. Does it really matter?”  
  
“Thee,” he said, setting down his watering can. He sat down on a stool across the table from his daughter. “What’s going on?”  
  
“Nothing, dad. I’m _fine_ ,” she said, getting slightly upset.  
  
“Dorothy,” Neville said, his voice slightly pleading. “Talk to me.”  
  
Dorothy shook her head. “I don’t really want to talk about it, Dad.”  
  
Neville leaned back off the table. “Does this have to do with Freddie?”  
  
Dorothy’s gaze shot up to meet her father’s. “What? No!”  
  
“I talked to him a few weeks ago--”  
  
“Holy Merlin, Dad!” Dorothy cried. “What do you mean you talked to him?”  
  
“You’ve not spoken for months, that sort of thing gets noticed, Thee,” he replied.  
  
“Fred is... _whatever_. I don’t know what Fred is, and I don’t honestly care,” she said shortly.  
  
“Then is this about Hope and James?”  
  
“Can we cut it out with the interrogation, please?” Dorothy demanded. “I just wanted to have a nice breakfast with my father!”  
  
“I’m worried about you.”  
  
“Stay out of it!” she snapped, standing up from the table.  
  
“Where are you going?”  
  
She shot him a glare. “I have class. I’ll see you later.” She slammed the door of the greenhouse shut behind her, and Neville let out a heavy sigh as he plopped his chin down on his hand. Teenage girls were _hard_.  
  
***  
  
“Hope, we can't skive off again,” Fiona said, not making a single effort to move.   
  
“But it'd be so fun,” Hope replied, stretching out like a cat on the blanket. “And it’s good for the soul. Just lie back and let it happen, Fi.” Because it had been unreasonably nice out for mid-March, and the week had been filled to the brim with tension between Dorothy and everyone she came in contact with, the two best friends had decided to picnic out in one of the courtyards. But lunch was now over, and they were both due in their lessons in five minutes.  
  
Fiona groaned. “Stop trying to convince me to be bad, I'm trying to convince you to be good!” Fiona sat up, closing her eyes against the breeze. “How many more Arithmancy classes are we going to even have?”  
  
“Too many,” Hope grumbled.   
  
“Get your lazy arse up,” Fiona said, smacking Hope’s leg.   
  
Hope sat up with a loud groan of protest. “I bloody _hate_ Responsible Fiona.”  
  
“Your mum doesn't, and that's what matters,” Fiona said with a grin.   
  
Hope responded in mocking gibberish. Fiona snorted. Neither one said anything else or made an effort to stand up.   
  
The comfortable silence between the two ended abruptly when Fiona let out a shriek as an owl landed forcefully on her head.   
  
“You _ruddy_ owl!” she shrieked. Hope fell back down on the blanket as she howled with laughter at the sight of Fiona wrestling with Louis’s owl, Hibou, who was hooting playfully.   
  
After a moment, Fiona managed to rip his talons away from her scalp and hold him tightly in her hands. “ _You_ ,” she threatened. Hibou hooted at her, then pecked her finger lovingly. “Don't go and be cute, you _demon bird_.”  
  
Hope, who was still trying to reign in her hysterics, asked, “Booty call from Louis?”  
  
Fiona shot Hope a glare. “They are _not_ booty calls, he comes when he can and I go because I love him.”  
  
“And you're randy.”  
  
“Well there's a _reason_ I love him.”  
  
Hope laughed again. “Fine, _leave me_ ,” she lamented. “Go have a nice time with your man.”  
  
Fiona leaned over and pressed a kiss to Hope’s forehead. “I love you too. Plus, now you don't have to go to class.”  
  
“It's not as fun to lay without you,” Hope pouted.   
  
Fiona smiled at her friend. “I know, I'm sorry. Doesn't James have a free period?” she asked as she stood.  
  
Hope shrugged. “I dunno, probably.”  
  
Fiona kicked Hope’s foot. “What’s up?”  
  
She threw her arm across her face and groaned. “He keeps telling me he loves me and I keep not saying it back and he’s going to notice soon and then leave me and then I’ll be sad and lonely and have to live in you and Lou’s basement.”  
  
Fiona sighed. “I hate to break it to you, love, but I guarantee he’s already noticed. You don’t say that and then _not_ notice when they don’t say it back.”  
  
Hope lifted her arm to make eye contact with Fiona. “You really think so?  
  
Fiona nodded. Hope cursed. “Hope, if he keeps saying it and hasn’t gone anywhere, I’m also pretty sure he doesn’t mind that you haven’t said it yet.”  
  
“I’m…” she paused, slightly embarrassed. “I’m just not ready.”  
  
Fiona nodded. “That’s okay. Anyone would rather you say it because you mean it and not just because someone says it to you.”  
  
Hope nodded. “Okay.”  
  
“However, you may want to be open with him about that.”  
  
Hope groaned again. “Bollocks.”  
  
“Welcome to the joys of a relationship!” Fiona said with a laugh. “I’m going to be off to enjoy the joys of mine. I’ll be back tonight...maybe.”  
  
“Woman, we leave for holiday on Sunday, and he’s coming up Saturday for the match, so I’m sure you’re already planning to sneak him into the dormitory Saturday night. I feel fairly confident you can make it less than 24 hours without spending the night with him,” Hope said, rolling her eyes.   
  
“I _could_ , doesn’t mean I _want_ to.”  
  
“You make me want to projectile vomit.”  
  
“Your never ending support is what keeps me going.”  
  
“What can I say? I’m a giver.”  
  
***  
  
“Lily?” Carley called as she opened the door to the Fourth Year Girl’s Dormitory. “Lily?”  
  
There was a groan from the far corner. Carley immediately ran to the duvet-covered lump and threw herself on the mattress beside it. “Lils, I've got a crisis.”  
  
“Does it have to do with my brother because I'm not in the mood to dissect Albus if I could be sleeping.”  
  
“A Hufflepuff asked me out.”  
  
Lily shot up in bed, hair wildly askew as she turned to her best friend with wide eyes. “What?!”  
  
“I think he's a Hufflepuff at least,” Carley continued, beginning to ramble. “And I think he asked me out. I'm not really sure. I don't know what's happened; Lily, I'm _hopeless_.”  
  
“First,” she instructed, running her hands through her hair in an effort to tame it. “Who are we talking about?”  
  
“His name’s Kyle,” Carley said. “Fifth year, I believe.”  
  
“Does he play Quidditch?”  
  
Carley bit her lip. “I think so?”  
  
“Kyle Reed is a fifth year, he's a Hufflepuff Beater,” Lily supplied.   
  
“Beaters are the ones with the cute bat, right?” Carley chuckled at the agonized groan her best friend released. “I'm just teasing...sort of. Anyway, he's tall, blonde, has sort of a half grin thing that he does?”  
  
Lily nodded. “Sounds like Kyle Reed. Give me a play by play.”  
  
Carley rolled her eyes. “You're so strange.”  
  
“Oi, I'm helping you navigate boy and am living vicariously through you and your hot Hufflepuff, give me details!”  
  
“ _Fine_ ,” Carley said with a laugh. “We met a few weeks ago in the library and he's really nice and sweet and funny, and since then, we'd say hello in the corridor but I never see him because he's older until this morning when he came up to me and asked me if I would sit and watch the match today with him.”  
  
“He asked you to the match?” Lily asked. “I need exact words here, Carley.”  
  
“He asked if I was going to the match, and I said yes, even though I don't really understand any of it to which he said ‘well, if you're interested, you could sit with me and I'd love to explain it all to you.’” Carley looked at Lily. “Is that a date? Am I completely overthinking?”  
  
“Depends, what'd you say?”  
  
“I said it sounded like more fun than sitting next to you and guessing when you'd jump to your feet and cheer—”  
  
“Oi.”  
  
“—and that I’d like that,” Carley finished. “And then he grinned at me and said he'd pick me up from the Tower at four.”  
  
Lily's eyes widened. “You're going on a _date!_ And it's not with my _brother_ _!_ This is fabulous news!”  
  
Carley tried to smile. “Is it? I don't even know if I like him. And... _Albus_.”  
  
“Forget about Albus, he’s unimportant. The point of dating is to find out if you like someone,” Lily said, jumping from her bed and making a beeline for the closet. “So go forth, date. _Like_. Don’t marry my brother.”  
  
“What are you doing?”  
  
“Looking for something for you to wear!” Lily replied.  
  
***  
  
Hope grinned at James as he joined her on the scarlet couch by the fireplace. She snuggled into his side with a sigh. “You always smell so good.”  
  
“Like chocolate and sex under the stars?” he teased.   
  
Hope rolled her eyes, poking a finger hard into his side. “If you weren't so cute, I'd maim you.”  
  
He kissed her forehead. “You wouldn't.”  
  
“You're right,” she replied with a shrug. “I'd have Fi do it.”  
  
James shuddered. “Will she ever like me?”  
  
Hope looked up at James with a smile. “She likes you! She's just...abrasive.”  
  
“She calls me Potter.”  
  
“And she calls Dora ‘Longbottom,’ the surname thing isn't personal,” she said. “Speaking of Fi, guess what she told me this morning.”  
  
“She's picked out the place to hide my body for when she inevitably kills me?”  
  
Hope smacked him playfully. “Oh, hush. She's known that for months.”  
  
James laughed. “Oh, of course.”  
  
“It's a nice place, don't worry,” Hope reassured him. James shot her a look. “She told me that Kyle was going to ask Lily's best friend Carley to sit with him during the match today! Wouldn't those two just be the cutest?”  
  
“Who are the cutest?” Albus asked as he plopped into an armchair. “You and me? Because yes.”  
  
Hope laughed. “Of course, darling.”  
  
“Oi,” James warned, pulling Hope closer. Hope and Albus laughed. “Her Beater is accompanying Carley to the game.”  
  
Albus's brow furrowed. “Fiona?”  
  
“No, moron,” James replied. “Kyle.”  
  
“Be glad you're pretty, sweetie,” Hope said with a laugh.  
  
Albus frowned. “Isn't he a fifth year?”  
  
“Yeah, so?”  
  
“He's too old for Carley,” Albus grumbled. “And he's a Puff.”  
  
“What's wrong with that?” Hope asked, cocking a sinister eyebrow.   
  
Albus shot her a weak smile. “Nothing, absolutely nothing. Puffs are bloody brilliant. Wish I was one. All that _yellow_.”  
  
Hope smiled. “That's what I thought. And he's not too old for her, it's barely a year!”  
  
“I still don't like it.”  
  
“Good thing he didn't ask you out then,” James said. He then looked at Hope. “Am I supposed to be asking you to the match or have we hit the point where I'm allowed to assume you're going with me?”  
  
Hope smiled. “You can assume for matches, but everything else will always require an invitation. And maybe chocolate.”  
  
“Oh, yes, naturally,” he responded with a roll of his eyes.  
  
“I'm ignoring your tone because I like you.”  
  
James nodded. “Appreciated.” He planted a kiss on her lips, which ended too quickly as Freddie hopped on the couch next to Hope.   
  
“Oi, if you're here, where's my friend?”  
  
Hope turned to Fred with a glare full of annoyance. “I dunno where Dora is, why don't you go talk to her?”  
  
Freddie frowned. “Not that friend, my friend that James is scared of.”  
  
“Oh, Fredrick, you say the most wonderful things,” Fiona called as she strode over to the group.  
  
“How'd she get in without one of us with her?” James asked, looking directly at Hope.  
  
“I have no clue,” she said quickly before she planted a hard kiss on his mouth. She pulled back. “Better?”  
  
He shrugged. “Who cares about Fiona?”  
  
There was a hard smack to the back of James's head. “I do,” Louis snapped.   
  
James whirled around. “Lou? When'd you get here?”  
  
“Yesterday afternoon,” Hope informed him. She looked up at Lou. “You are a friend thief.”  
  
“You're a cousin thief.”  
  
“I've yet to thieve him from you.”  
  
Lou grinned. “Ah, but eventually you _will_ , and then we’ll be even.”  
  
Hope frowned and looked to Fiona. “Fi, your boyfriend is annoying me.”  
  
“I know, and it's a fabulous break for me,” she replied as she threw herself into the other armchair. “You can keep him.”  
  
Hope pouted. “That was not the desired result.”  
  
“Hope! What are you doing here?” Lily cried from the bottom of the stairs. Hope turned to reply, but Lily continued with, “Nevermind, you're dating my brother so I probably don't want to know anyway. I need assistance.”  
  
“With what?” Hope asked.   
  
“Kyle will be here to pick up Carley in an hour and she’s resisting.”  
  
“Oh, that sounds fun.” Hope jumped up off the couch. “I’ll meet you back here to head to the match,” she told James, planting a big, smacking kiss on his mouth and ruffling his hair. “Come on, Fi,” she said, grabbing her best friend’s hand to yank her unceremoniously from her seat.  
  
“Bollocks, why am I always included?” Fiona groaned, trudging along behind Hope.  
  
“Oi, girlfriend thief!”  
  
“You have hands for a reason, Weasley!” Hope called back, before disappearing up the stairs with Lily and Fiona.  
  
Louis looked at James with a smirk. “Oh, she’ll be good for you.”  
  
“So,” Freddie said, turning to James with a grin. “Has she said she loves you yet?”  
  
James frowned and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “No.”  
  
“Have you asked her about it?”  
  
James scoffed. “Nope.”  
  
“How does Carley even _know_ Reed?” Albus asked no one in particular.  
  
“Bloody hell, why are you so worked up about this?”James demanded.  
  
“I’m not worked up, who’s worked up?”  
  
“Why’s Al being a pansy face?”  Louis asked, taking the seat Fiona had unwillingly vacated.  
  
“I’m not being a pansy face!”  
  
“Kyle Reed asked Lily’s best friend Carley to the match with him, and Al’s panties are now in a twist,” James explained.  
  
“Nothing is twisted! I don’t care that she’s going out with the bloke!”  
  
“Do you have a thing for Carley?” Freddie teased, a wide grin on his face.  
  
Albus laughed out loud. “ _What?!_ Me? Fancy Carley? You’re out of your bloody mind!”  
  
“Someone’s defensive,” Louis commented.  
  
“I am _not_ defensive,” Albus growled. “It’s _Carley_. She’s like another sister. Except worse, because she makes Lily so much more annoying. Plus she never talks, which is boring.”  
  
“Please, Albus, tell us how you really feel,” James said. “Want to tell us about how she’s the reincarnation of Voldemort next?”  
  
“Stop saying I fancy her when I obviously don’t then!” Albus said as he stood from his seat. “I would never go for Carley.”  
  
“Where’re you going?” Louis asked.  
  
“I’ve got to grab a jumper for the match.”  
  
“Grab me one!”  
  
“Bugger off, Lou,” Albus said as he began to climb the stairs. He froze when he turned the corner and bumped straight into Carley. “C-Carley!” he stammered.  
  
“I never asked you to like me,” she said, her voice slightly shaky but cold.  
  
“What?”  
  
“I’m another sister, but worse?” she demanded. “If you hate me so much, you don’t have to talk to me. Trust me, I’ll live. But I don’t appreciate you bad mouthing me to your family for everyone to hear in the Common Room. If you have a problem with me, grow a pair and talk to me about it yourself, got it?”  
  
“I don’t have a problem with you,” he said quickly. “Carley, this is all a misunderstanding, I can explain!”  
  
“I think I’ve heard enough,” she said, her voice breaking this time. She cursed inwardly. “Just leave me alone, alright?” She turned and headed up the opposite staircase.  
  
Albus cursed beneath his breath before storming up to retrieve his jumper.  
  
***  
  
The door to the Fourth Year Girls’ dormitory opened, and Lily said, “Oh, good, you’re back. Are you ready to cooperate--what’s happened?!”  
  
Carley shook her head as Lily rushed to her side. “Your brother is a giant prick.”  
  
“Oh, babes,” she said. “Which one?”  
  
“Albus.” Carley wiped at her watery eyes with a groan. “I've given up. I’m done being this hopelessly in love girl with a bloke who thinks of me as a ‘sister but worse.’ He said himself he’ll never fancy me. I need to move on. I feel pathetic.”  
  
“You're not pathetic, you had feelings for the wrong guy,” Fiona said from her seat on Lily's bed.    
  
“And luckily enough, you have a date with an amazing bloke very soon,” Hope said with a reassuring smile. “We can show Albus exactly what he’s missing out on.”  
  
Carley nodded. “Kyle _is_ amazing. He's so sweet.”  
  
“And he's hot,” Lily added.   
  
“I raised him well,” Fiona commented. “He’ll be a perfect gentleman and he’s been talking about you for weeks.”  
  
Carley blushed. “Really?”  
  
“I guess we better give him something to really talk about,” Hope said with a smirk. She turned to Lily. “Closet?”  
  
Lily pointed to the open door along the other wall. “You may want to focus on my side though, Carley is a little hopeless when it comes to dressing herself.”  
  
Carley frowned. “I’m not hopeless, I’m comfortable.”  
  
“Well, what do you want to be today?” Hope asked, searching through the clothing options before her.   
  
Carley blinked. “What do you mean?”  
  
“Your clothes say something about you,” Hope said. “What do you want Kyle to think when he sees you?”  
  
“What do you want Albus to think when you walk through the Common Room?” Fiona added.  
  
Carley took a moment to think. “I want to look fierce,” she said. “Like I’m not some little girl.”  
  
Hope grinned. “Alright then.” She picked up her wand and squeezed her eyes shut, flicking it once.  
  
“Stop showing off your nonverbal charms!” Fiona demanded, throwing the closest pillow in reach at her. Hope smirked.  
  
A moment later, a ball of clothing flew into the room, landing right in Hope’s arms. “Perfect.”  
  
“Are those my pants?”  
  
“You’ll be fine, Fi,” Hope said. She tossed her purple blouse to Carley. “This should fit you fine...what pants size are you?”  
  
“6, usually.”  
  
Hope bit her lip. “Hm. Wear a belt,” she said, chucking the pants at her as well. “Lily, where do you keep your shoes?”  
  
“Bottom corner,” she replied. “Carley and I are about the same size.”  
  
“Good, Fiona’s feet are huge,” she replied.  
  
“Oi!”  
  
“Just stating facts, Fi.” Hope crouched down and pulled out a pair of heeled combat boots. “These are perfect. Jewelry?”  
  
“Hope, I don’t know about this,” Carley began.  
  
“Shush. Put on your clothes. I’m good at this, I promise.”  
  
Lily brought a box over to Hope. “I have some bangles and earrings that you might like.”  
  
“I like the sound of that. Can you pump up her makeup a bit to bring out her eyes more while I play with her hair?”  
  
  
  
  
  
Lily grinned. “Absolutely.”  
  
“Blimey, birds are insane,” Fiona remarked, laying back onto the mattress. She wiggled a bit to get comfortable, then, with a frown, summoned the pillow she'd chucked back to her and folded it under her head.   
  
“I’m having a lot of regretful feelings, Hope,” Carley said.  
  
“They’ll pass as soon as you look at yourself. I’m giving you fierce.”  
  
“Can’t fierce be a jumper? I’m going to be cold.”  
  
“You’re going to get _his_ jumper,” she replied. “Trust me, James and I have been together for less than a month and I already have six of his jumpers, not including the one I’m wearing.”  
  
“I was wondering why that looked familiar, I bought him that,” Lily said with a laugh.  
  
Hope grinned. “I’m a big fan, it’s very cuddly.”  
  
“The clothes aren’t too dark?” Carley asked.  
  
“Nope,” Hope said. “The perks of red hair include slaying the game in dark colors.” She ruffled Carley’s hair before tapping the girl’s head with her wand. The silky, light red locks flowed down the sides of her face in soft curls with a straight fringe.  
  
“You look amazing, Carls,” Lily said with a grin. “Kyle’s going to flip.”  
  
Carley smiled. “Good.”  
  
***  
  
“I’m a horrid person.”  
  
“Let it go, Albus, I’m sick of your whining,” Freddie snapped. “Yes, you’re a right prat. Now shut up about it.”  
  
“...don’t be nervous, he’s a real sweetheart, I promise,” Fiona instructed as she, Hope, Lily, and Carley walked back down into the Common Room. “And if the Quidditch talk starts to bore you, just plant one on him, it’ll definitely shut him up.”  
  
“Merlin, Fi,” Hope said with a laugh. “It’s a first date!”  
  
“Do you think he’s going to kiss me?” Carley asked. “I’ve never been kissed before.”  
  
“Only if you want him to,” Hope reassured her. “You don’t have to kiss him if you don’t want to.”  
  
“Carley!” Albus called, jumping up from his seat on the couch.  
  
“Oh, brother,” Lily groaned. “Albus, leave her alone, you prat.”  
  
“I just wanted to--” Albus’s voice fell as his eyes landed on Carley. “Whoa.”  
  
She fought the blush that bloomed across her cheeks, reminding herself that Albus saw her as another sister and that he would never see her as anything else. “What?” she asked him.  
  
“I’m sorry,” he said, snapping back into reality.  
  
“For what?” She took a breath, trying to keep hold of her confidence. “Saying what you said or getting caught?”  
  
“I--”  
  
“I’ve got to meet someone, Albus,” Carley said. She tucked her hair behind her ear anxiously. “I’ll see you around, I guess.”  
  
Albus watched as his sister, Hope, and Fiona ushered Carley out of the portrait hole, then let his head fall. He was such a prat.  
  
“Oi, Reed!” Fiona called once they were outside the portrait hole.   
  
Kyle jumped and turned, replying with a “yes, ma’am,” which had become his trained reaction to hearing Fiona bark at him.  
  
Fiona grinned. “Merlin, I’ve done a good job with that one.”  
  
He relaxed when he saw Carley tinkle a wave at him. “Oh, hello, Carley,” he said, walking towards her. “You look... _wow_.”  
  
Carley blushed again. “Thanks,” she said with a smile. “You ready to go?”  
  
He nodded and offered her his hand. Carley took it, and the two of them strode off down the corridor, talking quietly between themselves.  
  
“Oh, they grow up so fast,” Lily said, a large smile on her face.  
  
***  
  
Dorothy could hear the crowd from the Slytherin-Ravenclaw match from up at the castle. She'd never missed a Quidditch match in her entire Hogwarts career, but here she was, sitting in an empty courtyard with her Quidditch Journal beside her.  
  
“Thee?”  
  
Dorothy looked up to see Roxanne striding towards her, and she forced a smile. “Hey, Rox.”  
  
“Hey,” the girl replied, sitting down on the bench beside Dorothy.  
  
“Why aren't you at the match?” Dorothy asked.   
  
“I could ask you the same thing,” Roxanne replied suspiciously. Dorothy may have been best friends with Freddie, but she and Roxanne had always had the bond of sisters. “I had detention,” Roxanne said after a moment.   
  
_I didn't want to sit by myself because Hope will be with James, Fiona and Louis will be with Hope and James, and Fred will be there and I can't look at him._ “I wasn't feeling well.”  
  
Roxanne furrowed her brow. “You've snuck out of the Hospital Wing to see a Quidditch match.”  
  
Dorothy chuckled. “Yeah. I dunno. Wasn't up to it.”  
  
“Is this about Hope and James?”  
  
 _No. Maybe? I don't know._ “Of course not,” Dorothy replied. “I'm really happy for them. They're so good together.” _Is that a lie? I don't think that's a lie. I certainly don't want it to be a lie. I’m just sad._  
  
“I just never see you with Hope and Fiona these days,” Roxanne said. “Honestly, I don't see you around anyone.”  
 _  
That's because I'm avoiding all my friends because I don't know where I fit anymore._ “I've been spending a lot of time with my dad. And lessons are killing me.”  
  
Roxanne looked at Dorothy, obviously struggling to decide whether she should take what she was saying at face value. “It's all Freddie, isn't it? He's such a moron.”  
  
“What? No,” Dorothy said quickly. _I miss him so much._ “It's not Freddie. He and I,” she broke off. “I honestly don't know about us. But it's okay.” _It's the opposite of okay. I hate it._ “As long as he's happy, I'm happy.” _When did I stop making him happy, Rox?_   
  
Roxanne sighed. “I miss you being around. And family dinner at the Leaky tomorrow night will be awful with you and Freddie not talking.”  
  
Dorothy cursed inwardly. She’d completely forgotten about the tradition of Freddie and his family coming over to the Leaky to eat with her family the first night of holidays. “It’ll be alright,” Dorothy said. _I hope it’s alright._  
  
“I hope so,” Roxanne said, letting her head rest on Dorothy’s shoulder. “I really do miss you.”  
  
Dorothy felt a small smile on her lips. “I really miss you, too.”  
  
***  
  
“Louis,” Fiona whined the next morning as she threw some clothes into her trunk to take home. “No one is going to care if you ride the train home with us. My Head of House is _Longbottom_ , he’s practically your uncle.”  
  
“It’s not Longbottom I’m worried about,” he said, still laying in Fiona’s fourposter. “It’s McGonagall.”  
  
“It’s ridiculous for you to Apparate from Hogsmeade to King’s Cross to meet me when you can just take the train.”  
  
“Maybe I want to dawdle.”  
  
Fiona shot him a look. “The only way I’m going to allow ‘dawdle’ to be a good excuse is if it’s synonymous with ‘buy my fabulous girlfriend presents.’”  
  
He laughed and reached out towards her, looped his finger in the top of her trousers, and yanked her back into bed with him. “Maybe _we_ should dawdle,” he said, his voice husky.  
  
She laughed, allowing him to kiss down her neck. “I only get so many more Hogwarts Express rides, and I am too sentimental to miss out on my third to last.”  
  
“Plus I’ll _kill_ her,” Hope’s voice rang from the other side of the room. “Best friend thief.”  
  
“Girlfriend thief, hush yourself,” Louis demanded.  
  
Hope turned to face the couple. “ _Excuse_ you?”  
  
Louis smiled at her. Hope rolled her eyes. “Ah, come on, Hopie, you know you love me.”  
  
“What I _know_ is why Fi used to hex you all the time and why I used to let her,” Hope responded.  
  
“You wound me, Hopie.”  
  
“Call me Hopie one more time and we’ll see how cute you are without eyebrows.”  
  
“I’m so glad you two get along,” Fiona said, rolling her eyes.  
  
“We get along,” Louis said defensively.  
  
“We’re friends,” Hope agreed. “Right, Lou?”  
  
“Obviously.”  
  
Fiona sighed and pushed herself up off of Louis’s chest. “Whatever, you both annoy me, I’m not packed, and you need to put clothes on.”  
  
“Not what you were saying last night,” Louis teased.  
  
“Babe, I _will_ still hex you.”  
  
“Yes, ma’am.”  
  
Louis rolled out of bed and disappeared into the bathroom. “Dora, what’s your plan today?” Hope asked.  
  
“Go home?” Dorothy replied, trying to keep her tone from being too harsh, but failing.  
  
“Shocking,” Fiona replied. “I think what Hope meant was ‘are you sitting with us?’”  
  
“More of a ‘please, sit with us,’” Hope clarified.  
  
Dorothy sighed. “I think I’m going to sit with my dad.”  
  
Hope’s face fell. Fiona’s tightened in a frown. “You aren’t being fair.”  
  
Dorothy gave Fiona a look of confusion. “Me sitting with my dad isn’t fair?”  
  
“No, you avoiding everyone because you can’t stand to look at Hope and James together after you forced them into it isn’t fair,” Fiona snapped, her voice harsh. “You’re not a victim, Longbottom. You brought this upon yourself.”  
  
“I know I’m not a victim!” Dorothy shot back. “I’m not trying to be, I want them to be happy--”  
  
“Do you?” Fiona demanded. “Because treating Hope like shit and ostracizing yourself from your friends kind of says the opposite.”  
  
“Fiona, stop it,” Hope said.  
  
“No,” Fiona shot back. “I’m sick of you beating yourself up because she locked you in a room with her ex!”   
  
“It’s fine, I de--”  
  
“If you even think about saying the word ‘deserve,’ I will smack you.”  
  
“It’s true!” Hope cried. “Right, Dora? You weren’t ready to see him with someone else, but you weren’t going to tell me not to be with him.”  
  
“I don’t care that you and James are together! I don’t care that I destroyed my relationship with Freddie for the guy who’s probably going to marry you! I just can’t be around it yet, I need a second to breathe!”  
  
“It’s been two weeks, it’s time to be our friend again,” Fiona snapped. “You got your second to breathe. You don’t get to make Hope feel any worse because you’re confused.”  
  
Dorothy nodded, bottom lip quivering. “You’re right,” she said, obviously holding in her tears. “So,” she paused to take a steadying breath, “I’m going to sit with my dad on the train, and I’ll see you both at the wedding.”  
  
She picked up her bag and began making her way out of the room. “Dora--”  
  
“I promise you,” Dorothy said, turning back to look at Hope for a moment. A tear slid down her cheek. “I am so unbelievably happy for you and James.” She turned back around and slipped out the door.  
  
There was a moment of silence before Hope said, “We need to go after her.”  
  
“No,” Fiona said, looking down. “Give her the space she needs. The more we push her, the worse it gets.”  
  
Hope looked from Fiona to the door. “But, Fi--”  
  
“I know.”  
  
The bathroom door opened and Louis poked his head out. “I’ll ride the train home with you, Fi.”  
  
Fiona looked at him, easily reading the concern for her evident on his face. She nodded. “Best hurry then, we don’t want to be late.”


	33. I Just Have to Survive Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Being so needy is unattractive, James. I like this one, you can’t go scaring her off.”
> 
> “She already agreed to date me, why’ve I need to waste time being attractive?”
> 
> “I certainly wouldn’t be against it."

Freddie found an empty compartment on the train and entered, then locked the door behind him with a flick of his wand. He let out a sigh and slumped into one of the benches. He had a lot of work to do on the train ride home before his meeting with his father on Tuesday morning, but instead of pulling one of the thick packets of parchment out of his bag, he pulled out the shimmering Invisibility Cloak he’d borrowed from James in the hopes of getting an undisturbed nap. With the stress of having to put his vision on paper, and then sell it to his father, Fred had put sleeping on hold to draft the greatest dual presentation he could muster.  
  
But as he pulled the Invisibility Cloak over his body and laid his head against the wall, he could feel his exhaustion beginning to overtake him. He shoved his bag beneath the small of his back for support, let his eyes fall shut, crossed his arms over his chest, and released a deep sigh. He'd earned this.   
  
There was a loud click as someone yanked on the door to find it locked, a softer click as they unlocked it, followed by the sound of someone opening and closing the door. The person slumped into the opposite bench, locked the door again and let out a heavy sigh of their own. As Freddie turned to tell them to vacate his happy, empty compartment, he laid eyes on Dorothy, whose face was buried in her hands and shoulders were shaking with her tears.   
  
“Fuck,” he mumbled to himself.  
  
Dorothy's head lifted, and she looked straight at him. She sucked in a few uneven breaths to try and calm herself down. “Is someone there?” she demanded.   
  
Freddie didn't even breathe. No chance in hell was he going to reveal himself to her.   
  
Dorothy frowned. She reached forward, making contact with the cloak covering Fred's body, and yanked it off.  
  
So much for not revealing himself.   
  
When she saw him, she immediately released the cloak and it fell into a heap on the center of the floor. “Fred,” she said. Remembering she'd entered sobbing, she quickly rubbed at her face, as if trying to erase the evidence.   
  
He nodded, not saying anything. The tension filled the compartment quickly. “You know, if a compartment is locked, it usually means don't enter it.”  
  
Dorothy frowned. “You were sitting alone under the Invisibility Cloak, how was anyone supposed to know it was taken?” she asked. “Not to mention,” she added, “when you lock a compartment to keep people out, you should use a more advanced spell than one that's broken with Alohomora.” There was a moment’s silence before she asked, “Why were you hiding under the cloak anyways?”  
  
Freddie frowned. “I was trying to get some sleep.”  
  
“And that requires being invisible?”  
  
“I didn't want to be disturbed.” He narrowed his eyes into an accusatory glare, but Dorothy was staring off at the wall.   
  
Tension built again as the two remained silent. “What's with you, anyway?” he asked suddenly.   
  
Dorothy turned to look at him. “What have I possibly done wrong now?”  
  
“No,” he said. “You came in crying.”  
  
Dorothy raised an eyebrow. “Now you all of a sudden care about me again?”  
  
“Cor, I just told Fi this,” he grumbled, swinging his feet so they sat flat on the floor and he looked at her. “It’s not like I stopped caring about you.”  
  
Dorothy's eyes slid to meet his. “Yeah, that sentiment has come through loud and clear over term.”  
  
“I can't care more about you than you do.”  
  
“What's that supposed to mean?” Dorothy snapped. “That because I chose to be with James, I don't care about myself?”  
  
“Not enough!”  
  
“What gives you the right to make that call, Fred?”  
  
“I know you better than you know yourself, Dorothy,” he said firmly. “You couldn't see what he did to you, but I could.”  
  
Dorothy gathered her things in her arms and stood. “If you think that I would ever make a decision knowing it would result in... _this_ ,” she gestured to the two of them. “You obviously don't know me as well as you'd like to think.” She unlocked the door and wrenched it open. “And congratulations, you were right about me and James. Are you happy yet?”  
  
She stormed from the compartment and slammed the door behind her. Her final words resonated with him. He done all this to protect himself from her. But she still had a vice grip on his heart that had somehow just gotten tighter.  
  
***  
  
Fiona spent most of the train ride home curled tightly into Louis’s side, mulling over her fight with Dorothy. Louis rubbed his hand over her arm and didn't say anything about it. Across from them, Hope sat with her back against the wall and her feet propped in James's lap, sketching Quidditch plays in her notebook absentmindedly.  
  
“Hell, we’re almost to King’s Cross,” James said as he peered out the window.  
  
Hope turned her head over her shoulder to look outside, nerves settling in the pit of her stomach. “Fast train ride,” she commented.  
  
James looked at her. “Stop freaking out.”  
  
Hope turned back to him. “Who's freaking out? I'm not freaking out, why would I be freaking out?”  
  
James laughed and squeezed her calf reassuringly. “Love, it's just dinner.”  
  
“Just dinner?” Hope scoffed. “My _idol_ has invited me into her home so she can cook for me and get to know me! _The_ Ginny Weasley!”  
  
“Technically she's Ginny Potter now—”  
  
“Not the point,” she snapped with a roll of her eyes. “She's my _inspiration_. The reason I got into Quidditch.”  
  
“She wasn't even playing anymore when you were a kid, Hope,” Louis pointed out.  
  
“She's a _legend_ and a _ginger_ and I _love her_.”  
  
Fiona couldn't help but snort at her best friend’s obsession. “Potter, sounds like you might have something to worry about if your girlfriend’s more turned on by your mum than you.”  
  
James stuck his tongue out at Fiona. She smirked.  
  
“Speaking of mums, am I supposed to be bringing yours something?” Louis asked Fiona.  
  
She looked up at him and shrugged. “Probably. We can go by Diagon Alley.”  
  
“You just want ice cream.”  
  
“My mum also loves ice cream.”  
  
“Oh, and I'm sure it's _her_ love of it that inspired this trip to Diagon Alley.”  
  
Fiona smirked. “It's her _inherited_ love.”  
  
“How can the two of you discuss ice cream when my entire _life_ is about to be irrevocably changed?!” Hope demanded.  
  
“Simple, I care more about ice cream than I care about you,” Fiona answered.   
  
“You're a horrid cow.”  
  
***  
  
Hannah Longbottom did not believe in measuring. Everything she made was done by hand and sight and taste, rather than dirtying unnecessary scoops. She tossed some tamarin into the stew she was currently making for that night’s dinner with George and Angie’s family, and hummed softly beneath her breath.  
  
“Hello, mum,” Dorothy said, entering the kitchen.  
  
Hannah spun around with a large grin. “Hello, love! I didn’t hear you and your father come in.” She pulled Dorothy into a tight hug. “How was the train?”  
  
Dorothy shrugged. “Fine.” She wandered over to the counter by the sink and leaned against it, watching her mother go back to her pot on the stove. “This for dinner with the Weasley’s tonight?”  
  
“Yup,” Hannah replied as she dipped a spoon into the stew to taste. “Were you hoping for something else?”  
  
“No,” Dorothy said hesitantly. She watched her mother frown and take another taste. “Just wasn’t sure if we were having dinner with them is all.”  
  
Hannah looked over at her daughter’s unreadable expression. “Your father warned me you might try to get out of dinner. Said something’s going on between you and Freddie.”  
  
“Nothing’s ‘going on’ between me and Freddie.”  
  
“So I’ve heard, and I reckon that’s the problem,” Hannah retorted. She dipped the spoon in for a third time and shoved it at Dorothy, who tasted the stew.  
  
“Garlic,” Dorothy instructed.  
  
“Of course!” Hannah reached to the far end of the counter and grabbed a clove of garlic, which she quickly began to mince. “Now, I’m not going to force you to tell me about the details, but you will be at dinner tonight, _with_ Fred and his family, as per tradition. Understood?”  
  
Dorothy sighed. “Understood.”  
  
***  
  
Hope sat on her bed and forced herself to breathe. It was just dinner.  
  
“You’re going to the _Potter’s_ for dinner?” Franklin exclaimed as he burst into his younger sister’s room. “Can I come with you?!”  
  
“No, you cannot come _with_ me, you imbecile,” Hope snapped as she rose to her feet. “For once, can my life not be about your precious book?”  
  
Franklin stared at his sister for a moment before asking, “What’s wrong with you?”  
  
“What?” Hope replied. “Nothing is wrong with me, what’s wrong with you?”  
  
“You haven’t even started to get ready for your dinner yet. Isn’t James coming to get you in an hour?”  
  
Hope shrugged. “So?”  
  
“You’re freaking out.”  
  
Hope glowered at him. “So what if I am?”  
  
“Hope,” Franklin began. “You’re going to be fine. It’s not like you haven’t met his family before.”  
  
“I was just Dorothy’s friend then. Now I’m Dorothy’s horrid friend who stole her boyfriend who just so happened to be their son.”  
  
“Did you really steal her boyfriend?”  
  
“Not exactly,” Hope replied. “We were sort of shoved into the Room of Requirement together and forced to talk about our feelings, but he did toss her because he liked me.”  
  
“So he tossed her because he liked you,” Franklin said. “At least he was honest.”  
  
Hope groaned. “That’s not the point, Franklin.”  
  
“So what is the point?” he demanded. “It sounds like you’re just making up excuses to avoid being happy. Again.”  
  
Hope looked over at her brother suspiciously. “Did mom send you up here to say all this? Or Fi?”  
  
“No, I just want you to do well at this dinner so I can get interviews with the Golden Trio. Can’t say no to family.”  
  
Hope groaned loudly. “Get _out_ of my room!” Franklin scurried out, and Hope slammed the door behind him. “We were having such a moment!” she yelled.  
  
Hope let her head rest on the wall next to her door, forcing herself to take deep breaths. Even if Franklin had been saying all that for his own personal gain, he made an excellent point. She wasn’t sure what was more annoying, him using her to get access to James’s family, or his sound observations of her current predicament.   
  
She turned and looked at herself in the mirror with a sigh. She fluffed her red locks absentmindedly. She straightened her stance and looked herself hard in the eye. She was Hope Jacobs. She was in the process of redefining the way Quidditch would be played. She was so close to the pros, she could taste it. She was not afraid of dinner. Dinner should be afraid of _her_.  
  
She laughed to herself at the thought, then disappeared into her closet to get ready.  
  
***  
  
“Ma!” Fiona called as she lead the way into her home, Louis close on her heels. “Louis comes bearing gifts from Florean Fortescue’s!”  
  
There was no response. The screen door clanged shut behind them. Fiona looked back at Louis. “Ma?” she called again. “Margie? Anyone?”  
  
Louis smirked at her. Fiona couldn’t help but grin back. “Just let me put this away,” Fiona said, running into the kitchen. She ripped the freezer door open and tossed the ice cream inside. She closed it quickly and turned just in time for Louis to press her back firmly against the fridge with his own body, taking her mouth with his own. She clutched at his shoulders and neck tightly, grinning into the kiss. She pulled back from his mouth and laughed as his hands dipped under her clothes, greedily carressing and sliding over her soft skin. His mouth took no time latching onto the skin of her neck, and she said, “You have no patience.”  
  
His hand gripped the bare flesh of her arse beneath her pants as he huskily replied, “As if you do?”  
  
Fiona let out a soft moan. “Shut it, Weasley.”  
  
He chuckled at her response to him. “Just think,” he began, tracing his mouth down the column of her throat. “Once you graduate and we get our own place, we can do this all the time, and never have to worry about when your mum will come home.”  
  
Fiona jolted. “What?”  
  
Louis looked up at her, confused. “What?”  
  
The front door opened, and the young couple jumped apart. “Anyone here?” Jackie Little called.  
  
“Lou and I are in the kitchen, Ma,” Fiona responded, quickly straightening her clothes and hair. “We brought you ice cream.” She looked at Louis, her face tight with a mixture of confusion, fear, and discomfort, before walking quickly out of the kitchen without him.  
  
“Hi, mum,” Louis heard Fiona say in the other room. He had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that something was most definitely wrong.  
  
“Hello, Ms. Little,” Louis said as he walked out of the kitchen. He went to stand next to Fiona, who stiffened as he got close. He frowned slightly.  
  
“Nice to see you, dear,” Jackie responded, not commenting on her daughter’s discomfort. “Are you staying for dinner, Louis?”  
  
“No, I’ve got to be going, my sister is getting married in a few days and my mum wants me home.”  
  
“Oh, that’s so lovely!” Jackie responded. “I love a good wedding.”  
  
Louis smiled at her. “Hopefully it will be.” He turned to Fiona. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”  
  
Fiona nodded. “Sure.”  
  
He leaned down to kiss her, but she turned her head so his lips landed on her cheek. He pulled back and frowned. “You okay?”  
  
“Fine,” she responded. He didn’t look convinced. “I love you.”  
  
“I love you, too,” he replied uncertainly. He walked to the back door, and said, “Nice to see you, Ms. Little.”  
  
“You too, Louis.”  
  
Once he’d left, Jackie turned on her younger daughter. “What was that?”  
  
Fiona groaned. “He wants to live with me.”  
  
Jackie looked at her daughter and chuckled. “Oh, darling.” She patted Fiona on the arm as she walked by. “You have fun with that one.”  
  
Fiona’s mouth dropped. “Mum!” She turned after Jackie. “You have to help me! This is your matronly duty!”  
  
***  
  
“Fred!” Angelina called. “Let’s go!” Fred didn’t look up from the page of the presentation he was furiously annotating. “Don’t make me come up there!”  
  
Fred set his quill down with a groan. “I’m _coming_ , mum!”  
  
“You have four seconds--”  
  
“I’m coming!” Fred shoved his chair out from his desk forcefully and stood, rubbing a hand over his head with agitation. He muttered a few obscenities beneath his breath as he stomped down the stairs and joined his family by the door. “Is this necessary?”  
  
“It’s tradition,” Angelina snapped, her voice twisted with a tone of warning.  
  
“Plus, Hannah made beef stew and I need that,” George joked, leading the way outside.  
  
Roxanne shared the same look of agitation Angelina wore as she stopped Fred and demanded, “Don’t be a swot.”  
  
“Leave it alone, Rox,” Fred grumbled as he walked past his sister into the brisk dusk air.  
  
George and Angelina walked hand-in-hand down Diagon Alley, followed by Roxanne and Fred. Fred let out a sigh and dug his fists into the pockets of his denims. His conversation with Dorothy from on the train was still repeating in his head, and he was not at all in the mood to be stuck at the same table as her for the next few hours.  
  
The family of four gathered outside the Leaky Cauldron to enter together, and upon doing so, Fred’s gaze immediately landed on Dorothy. Her hair was pulled back into a wavy ponytail as she leaned across the table to set it. Usually, he would’ve been here hours ago and the two of them would have set the table together. He frowned.  
  
“Smells amazing in here, Hannah,” George commented with a toothy grin.  
  
“Glad you think so,” Hannah said. She approached him and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Nice to see you, Georgie.” She then wrapped Angelina in a warm embrace. “Hello, Angie!”  
  
“Thanks so much for making dinner, George hasn’t been able to think of anything else all week,” Angelina joked.  
  
“Hopefully it lives up to expectation,” Hannah responded.  
  
“Always does!” George said. He stuck his hand out to Neville to shake. “Hi there, Nev.”  
  
Neville grinned and took it. “Looking good, George.”  
  
Roxanne went over to Dorothy. “Hey, you need any help?”  
  
Dorothy smiled at her. “Yeah, you can come with me and grab some food to put out.”  
  
Dorothy and Roxanne disappeared into the kitchen, and Fred suddenly felt extremely out of place. The adults chatted loudly as Hannah uncorked the bottle of wine Angelina had thought to bring, and Roxanne and Dorothy talked quietly between themselves. His stomach twisted. This night was going to be awful.   
  
***  
  
“Remind me again why he has to pick you up?” Hope’s mother, Delilah, asked as she watched her daughter’s knee bounce so fast she was pretty sure her whole leg was going to fall off.  
  
“Protection charms or something,” Hope responded. “From the war, and because they’re famous and stuff…” Her voice trailed off and she made a waving motion with her hand. “Bottom line is, I can’t get past the warding by myself.”  
  
Delilah shrugged. “Makes sense. Is that my skirt?”  
  
Hope looked down at the merlot colored skirt she was wearing and shrugged. “Maybe. If so, it’s been in my closet for years.”  
  
“Hm.”  
  
“What?” There was a knock at the door and Hope jumped to her feet. “He’s here! Do I look alright?”  
  
Delilah raked her eyes over her daughter’s ensemble: strappy black top with her skirt, black tights, and little burgundy boots. “You’re showing a bit of skin, but you look fine.”  
  
“Is it bad skin?”  
  
James knocked again.  
  
“Answer the door, Hope,” Delilah instructed.  
  
Hope did as she was told and immediately asked James, “Am I showing too much skin?”  
  
James blinked. He had a bouquet of lilies in his hand. “What?”  
  
“Oh Merlin, I _am_ aren’t I? Your parents are going to think I’m a complete _whore_ , give me your jumper!”  
  
James stared at her again, hopelessly confused. “Okay?” She motioned for the jumper. “I brought you flowers,” he said, holding them out to her.  
  
Hope’s nervous face relaxed into a smile as she took them. “Oh, they’re beautiful! Do you want to come in for a second? My mum’s here, you could meet her.”  
  
James nodded. “Sounds lovely.”  
  
Hope pulled him inside the door and pressed a kiss to his lips. “Hi.”  
  
He grinned at her. “Hello.”  
  
“I still need your jumper because I look like a whore.”  
  
James rolled his eyes. “You do not look like a whore.”  
  
“ _Jumper!_ ”  
  
She scurried into the kitchen to place the lilies into water, and when she came back into the room, James had removed his jumper for her. She snatched it quickly and pulled it on over her bare shoulders, smiling at the warmth and scent. She leaned up and pecked his cheek. “Thank you.”  
  
“You’re welcome.”  
  
“Hi, you must be James Potter,” Delilah said as she stood from her seat on the couch. “I’m Delilah Jacobs, Hope’s mother.”  
  
James walked over to her and stuck out his hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Jacobs. If you don’t mind me asking, do you write for Witch Weekly?”  
  
Delilah smiled. “I do.”  
  
“My mum loves your column,” he said with an easy grin. “Says it’s her guilty pleasure.”  
  
Hope’s eyes widened. “Ginny Weasley reads my mum’s column?!”  
  
James couldn’t help but snicker. “Yeah, every week.”  
  
Delilah smiled. “Tell her ‘thank you’ from me then James.”  
  
“I definitely will,” he replied. “I hate to run, but my mum said dinner would be ready in five minutes, and I don’t want to keep her waiting. It was a pleasure to meet you!”  
  
“You as well, James,” Delilah said. “Maybe later this week, you can join us for dinner as well.”  
  
James smiled at her. “That sounds wonderful.” James looked at Hope. “You ready?”  
  
Hope picked up the bottle of wine she’d selected to bring with her and nodded, grabbing onto James’s arm. “See you later, mum!” she said, right as James Apparated them out of the house.  
  
Hope let go of his arm and smirked up at him as they began to walk towards James’s house. “That was the smoothest I’ve ever seen you.”  
  
“I’m incredibly smooth.”  
  
As if fate, James immediately tripped over his own two feet. Laughing, Hope said, “Oh, yeah. The smoothiest smooth to ever smooth.”  
  
James wrapped his arms around Hope’s shoulders and pulled her close to him. “Shut up, Jacobs.”  
  
***  
  
“Louis?” Fleur said as she entered the living room to see her son sitting alone on the couch. “ _Ça va?_ ”  
  
He sighed as his mother laid her hand on his shoulder. “I think I messed up.”  
  
“Oh?” she prompted.  
  
Louis looked up at his mother and sighed. “You won’t want to hear about it, it has to do with Fi.”  
  
Fleur frowned. “ _Au contraire_ ,” she said forcefully. “Tell me about your heartache.”  
  
“It’s not heartache, _Maman_ ,” Louis said, rolling his eyes. “And I’m not in the mood to hear about how you don’t approve of Fiona.” He stood and turned to her. “I appreciate you trying, but not today.”  
  
Fleur frowned as she watched Louis leave the room and head upstairs. She knew what she had to do, and she didn’t like it one bit. But Fleur could feel that her stubbornness and pride was causing her to lose her son, and she would do just about anything to protect that relationship.  
  
Fleur went into the den and pulled a piece of parchment from the desk that sat in the room, along with a quill, and began to pen a letter.  
  
***  
  
Dinner was, for lack of a better term, painful. At least that’s how it was for Dorothy. Freddie had barely said a word the entire night, whereas Roxanne hadn’t stopped talking for the past hour. Dorothy tried to pay attention to the story Roxanne was enthusiastically telling her, but her mind was drifting. A lot. Mostly to the silent and angry boy across from her.  
  
“...and then she was like ‘Holy _Merlin_ , he’s so stupid, and I was like--”  
  
“So, Thee,” Angelina interrupted.  
  
Roxanne stopped speaking abruptly and Dorothy snapped back into reality. “Huh?” Dorothy responded.  
  
Angelina smiled at her. “Have you heard anything from the Auror Academy yet?”  
  
Dorothy blinked once as her brain adjusted to comprehending words again instead of just nodding and pretending to listen. “Uh, no, not yet.”  
  
“Harry and Ron have been very tight lipped about it all, I’ve been trying to do some digging for you,” Angelina teased.  
  
“ _Why?_ ” Fred sneered. Dorothy jumped at the sound of his voice, having not heard it in such a harsh tone in a long time.  
  
Angelina looked at her son in surprise. “Excuse me?”  
  
“Why have you been bothering Uncle Harry and Uncle Ron about her application?” he asked. “It’s not like she’s even your kid, it’s none of your business--”  
  
“Alright, Fred,” George said, anger evident on his face. “That’s enough.”  
  
“What?!” he shot back. “It’s true!”  
  
“I don’t care what you think, there’s never a reason for you to speak to your mother like that!” George exclaimed. “You’ve been way out of line ever since you got off the train--”  
  
“Well maybe if _she’d_ keep her nose out of things that _don’t concern her--_ ”  
  
“I’m your mum, Fred, your happiness concerns me!” Angelina snapped.  
  
“If that was true, you wouldn’t have made me come to this stupid dinner and sit across from _her_ for three hours when I should be working on my presentations! Stop _meddling_ , I’m 17 for Merlin’s sake!” Fred pushed himself violently from the table and stood, throwing his napkin onto his plate. He stormed from the Leaky Cauldron without another word.  
  
The table was awkwardly silent, and Dorothy could feel her heart racing. “Thank you,” she said softly. “I think it’s sweet you’ve asked them for me.”  
  
Angelina smiled at her. “Of course, love.”  
  
Dorothy pushed back from the table and stood as well. “I’m sorry for any trouble I may have caused you and your family.”  
  
“Thee,” Hannah said. “Where are you going?”  
  
“I think it’s best if I just go upstairs,” she replied, disappearing from the room.   
  
Hannah and Angelina looked at each other and sighed. Things were more broken between their children than they’d ever realized.  
  
***  
  
James snuck a glance at Hope beside him, laughing loudly at a comment his father had made before quickly putting him in his place with her own opinion. Sitting at the table with his family, he'd watched her transform from a nearly unrecognizable bundle of nerves into the cool and confident girl he was head over heels for.   
  
James’s attention snapped back to reality as his parents, Albus, and Lily laughed boisterously at something Hope said, and he almost asked her to repeat it because he'd missed the joke, having checked out of the conversation minutes ago. Instead, he slid his hand beneath the table to her knee, which he squeezed lovingly. She turned to him with a soft smile pulling at her pink lips, and James thought for sure his heart was going to give out from how it swelled in his chest.  
  
“Alright,” Ginny said, breaking the moment. “Albus, help me clear, please.”  
  
“Why do I have to do it?” Albus groaned.  
  
“I set,” Lily said, sticking her tongue out at her older brother.  
  
“And more importantly,” Ginny added, her light tone now more matronly and demanding, “I’m your mother and you’ll do as I say.”  
  
Albus gulped and quickly began to collect used plates. Hope stood as well, grabbing the mostly eaten bowl of potatoes and the empty meat plate from the center of the large oak table to carry into the kitchen behind Albus and Ginny.  
  
“Hope dear, you’re a guest,” Ginny said quickly. “You don’t have to help.”  
  
“Of course I do,” Hope replied. “It’s the least I can do.”  
  
“Hope’s really showing you up, Al,” Harry chortled as he leaned back in his chair and took another swig of Butterbeer. “We may keep her and send you packing.”  
  
“I’m fine with that,” Lily said cheerily as she hopped up from the table. “Dad, James--Quidditch on the telly?”  
  
James looked to Hope who shrugged. “Go, I’ll be out later,” she told him.  
  
He stood to join his father and his sister in the other room, pausing only to drop a chaste kiss on her waiting lips. “And to think you were nervous,” he teased.  
  
“Hush up,” she scowled. “Unless you want a potato shower.”  
  
He strode away from her, still grinning mischievously. Hope rolled her eyes and joined Ginny in the kitchen, who had begun washing dishes in the sink. Albus came in and dropped cups and silverware on the counter before asking, “Anything else, mum?”  
  
“Wipe the table, and then you’re free,” she said with a roll of her eyes.  
  
He grinned broadly and pecked her cheek. “Brilliant,” he said before he bounced out of the room.  
  
“What can I package these leftovers in, Mrs. Potter?” Hope asked.  
  
Ginny looked over her shoulder and responded, “There’s some containers in the cabinet beneath you.” Hope opened the cabinet and began to peruse, beginning to feel slightly uncomfortable in the silence of the kitchen.  
  
She jumped in surprise when Ginny suddenly piped up with: “How’ve you been doing, Hope?”  
  
“How’ve I been doing?” Hope said, pulling out two containers and closing the cabinet slightly harder than necessary due to nerves. “Uh, I’m fine. I’m really looking forward to the Final, and to stop having Arithmancy classes, but I can’t really complain.”  
  
Ginny couldn’t help but chuckle. “Arithmancy really is the worst, isn’t it?” Hope laughed in response as she scooped leftover potatoes into the container. “You enjoy being Quidditch captain?”  
  
“It’s been brilliant, really,” Hope said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better team, it’s been an indescribable season.”  
  
“Got any scouts coming to the Final?”  
  
“A few.” Hope sealed the lid over the potatoes and then began to wrap the leftover vegetables Albus had brought in. “Cannons have been really interested, but my heart’s set on the Harpies.”  
  
Ginny couldn’t help but shoot the younger girl a grin. “Good team.”  
  
Hope laughed. “Yes, I agree. I’ve followed them since I was little; being a Harpy has always been the dream.”  
  
“You’ve been in touch with Gwenog?”  
  
Hope frowned. “I’ve owled her and her assistant wrote me back, so hopefully someone will be at the match.”  
  
“I’ll mention it to Gwen.”  
  
Hope blinked. “Really? You don’t have to, honestly--”  
  
“Hope,” Ginny silenced her babbling. “I’ve seen you play. I wouldn’t offer unless I believed in your talent.” Hope was ninety-seven percent sure her heart had actually stopped beating. “You’ve got what it takes. And I may have heard a rumor that their Seeker has been trying to get pregnant…”  
  
Hope's eyes widened. “You're kidding!”  
  
Ginny smirked. “Never kid when it comes to Quidditch.”  
  
“This is amazing!” Hope exclaimed. “I can’t even put into words how much I appreciate it--”  
  
“I’m more than happy to help,” Ginny replied. “So, your team is still working well, after... _everything?_ ”  
  
Hope could feel the excitement drain from her face. “You mean me and Dora.” It was more of a statement than a question.  
  
  
  
  
“James told us what’s happened between the three of you.”  
  
Hope sighed, closing the vegetable container and stashing both containers on a shelf in the fridge. “It’s...it’s complicated,” she said as she closed the fridge door.  
  
“I can only imagine.”  
  
“It hasn’t affected our Quidditch dynamic as much as our personal one,” Hope explained as she grabbed a towel to dry the dishes Ginny was washing. “She’s Keeper and I’m Seeker, so we don’t really have too much interaction in play, but it’s been,” she paused to try and find the right words. “It’s been hard.”  
  
“Is that why you were so nervous earlier tonight?”  
  
Hope couldn’t look up at Ginny. “Is that more or less pathetic than just blaming it all on how you’ve been my Quidditch idol since birth?”  
  
Ginny laughed loudly this time, and Hope’s gaze snapped back to the older woman. “Neither one is pathetic, Hope.” Ginny sighed at the obvious war going on inside Hope’s head. “Do you love James?”  
  
Hope blinked in surprise as she stammered out, “M-maybe?”  
  
“I look at my son, and when he’s with you,” she took a breath and laid a hand on Hope’s. “He looks at you like you’re the sun. You light up his life in a way I didn’t know he needed.” Hope looked down, embarrassed. “Putting all your energy towards worrying about what Thee is thinking or feeling is holding you back from diving head first into what James is trying to give you.”  
  
Hope was quiet for a moment, before responding, “It’s much easier to talk about accepting what Dora has practically _handed_ me than actually doing it.”  
  
“She didn’t hand you anything,” Ginny said, passing Hope a plate. “She just saw it before you did.”  
  
“Knock, knock!” James’s voice shattered the moment between the two women as he poked his head into the kitchen. “Sorry to interrupt what I assume was the greatest dishwashing excursion of all time, but I was hoping to get my girlfriend back.”  
  
Hope snorted. “Of course it was amazing, it--”  
  
“Yes, I know, my mother was involved and it was life changing for you,” James teased. “But I’m lonely.”  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes. “Being so needy is unattractive, James. I like this one, you can’t go scaring her off.”  
  
“She already agreed to date me, why’ve I need to waste time being attractive?”  
  
“I certainly wouldn’t be against it,” Hope remarked.  
  
Ginny chuckled, then took Hope’s towel. “Go on with James, I’ll finish up.”  
  
“Are you sure?”  
  
Ginny flicked her wand, and the remaining dishes began to wash and dry themselves. “Positive.”  
  
James beamed. “Brilliant, I want to show you the pond!”  
  
Hope laughed at her boyfriend’s enthusiasm. “Alright, alright.” She turned to Ginny as she left, and mouthed, “Thank you.” Ginny nodded.  
  
James led Hope outside into the moonlit backyard. They were only out there for a few seconds before Hope launched herself onto his back, wrapping her arms and legs around him so he was forced to carry her. “She _likes_ me!”  
  
James laughed loudly as he gripped her legs tightly to support her. “I never doubted she would.”  
  
***  
  
Hope Apparated into her bedroom, humming happily to herself. Dinner at the Potters had completely exceeded her expectations. Things couldn’t have gone better. Not only had she had an amazing heart to heart with her personal queen, the same woman had given her the stamp of approval! Not to mention, she was fairly positive that Harry himself had been equally impressed with her.  
  
She brought the sleeves of James’s jumper up to her nose to breathe in his scent, already missing his presence. With a sigh, she turned towards her bed, and then let out a yelp of fright to find Fiona sitting cross legged in the center of it.  
  
“What the bloody hell are you doing here?!” Hope demanded, trying to calm herself down.  
  
Fiona looked up at her best friend. “He wants to live with me, and she wants to have tea!” she shrieked, shoving a meticulously written letter at Hope. “ _Fix me!_ ”


	34. I Just Can't Believe It (Again)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Looking as out of your league as I do takes time, Neville.”

Hope could see the nervous energy coming off of Fiona in waves. “Uh, what?”  
  
Fiona let out a loud groan and fell backwards onto Hope’s bed. “Hope, I’m dying here. Can’t you at least keep up?!”  
  
Hope let out a snort as she kicked off her shoes and began to remove her stockings. “Fi, love. I just got back from the most wonderful dinner at _Ginny Weasley’s_ home. We did dishes together. I could be struck down this instant and be completely okay with it. I’m gonna need a little more.”  
  
Fiona sat up again with a sigh, a large portion of her straight brown hair falling into her face. She pushed it back with her fingers before saying, “Lou dropped the ‘Living Together’ bomb today, real casual--as if we’d actually _talked_ about doing that before he decided our future,” her voice fell off a bit before she continued: “And then his _mother_ owls me asking me to tea tomorrow. Fleur. The woman who hates me. For tea! Who even has a...a...a _tea_ _party?!_ ”  
  
Hope coughed, giving her friend a glare.  
  
“It's cute when you do it, you ruddy bint,” Fiona snapped. Hope looked pleased enough with this response. “But why is _she_ doing it?!”  
  
Hope dropped her skirt and slipped on a pair of James’s shorts she’d swiped before coming home for holiday. “Okay, so we’re crisising,” she said as she clambered onto her bed next to Fiona, officially caught up. “Fleur asking you to tea is most likely _not_  a death sentence. Maybe she’s finally come to terms with the fact that you’re going to be around for a while. Make the best of it.”  
  
“I should bring her a plate.”  
  
Hope paused for a moment to stare wide-eyed at Fiona. “Sure. Plates are wonderful. Bring her twenty plates.”  
  
“Why would I bring her twenty, I only broke one,” Fiona asked.  
  
“How silly of me,” Hope retorted with a roll of her eyes. She took a heavy breath before continuing, “Go into tea with an open mind. As for Lou wanting to shack up with you,” Fiona let out a squeak of emotion at the mere mention of this, “maybe you should be honest and tell him you’re not ready.”  
  
Fiona covered her face with her hands. “But what if it makes everything weird and uncomfortable and he dumps me?” she whined.  
  
“You really think he’d dump you because you want to live with me instead of him?”  
  
Fiona let out a shriek of exasperation and melodramatically threw herself back into the mattress. “I don’t know what I think, I’m _emotionally compromised at the moment!_ ”  
  
Hope grabbed her pillow and smacked Fiona with it as hard as she could. “You are a _grown woman_ , contain yourself!”  
  
Fiona blinked rapidly as she stared at the ceiling, trying to control her breathing. “Thanks, I needed that.” Hope nodded. Fiona turned her head to look at her best friend. “Dinner went really well?”  
  
Hope smiled broadly and turned to her. “Bloody spectacular.”  
  
***  
  
Fiona took a deep, steadying breath as she waited on the reed-covered knoll, waiting for one of the Weasleys to retrieve her from the outskirts of their protective charms. She gripped the plate tightly in her hands, the scalloped edge digging uncomfortably into her palms. A soft breeze blew past her, ruffling the flowy fabric of her pale yellow dress. Her hair fluttered as well, and she tucked it hastily behind her ear to calm it, along with her nerves.  
  
She jumped as a deep voice broke the serenity around her with a “Hello, Fiona.”  
  
The voice was similar to Louis’s but just different enough for her to know that it was his father. “Mr. Weasley, hello,” Fiona said, nerves evident in the timbre of her voice.  
  
He smiled warmly at her, stretching the scars lining his face. She knew he’d been attacked by Fenrir Greyback from the many hours she’d spent in History of Magic learning of the Second Wizarding War, but in person the blemishes seemed less terrifying. Rather, the scars made him seem extraordinarily wise.  
  
“Fleur is just finishing setting up for the two of you,” he said, guiding her through the enchantments. She nodded, following him towards the house which had just revealed itself to her. “She’s quite glad you could make it. We both are.”  
  
“I, uh...I appreciated the invitation,” Fiona replied.  
  
Bill let out a hearty chuckle at her obvious discomfort. “You don’t have to worry, she just wants to get to know you.”  
  
“Yeah,” she said. “Hopefully this time goes better than the first.”  
  
“Is that a plate?”  
  
Fiona shot him a weak grin. “Yes. Yes it is.”  
  
Bill shook his head with silent laughter, but didn’t say anything else. They reached the door, which Bill pulled open for her, and they both entered. She took a deep breath as she laid her eyes on the ornate spread across the table. There were two cups, upside down in saucers, beside a steaming pot of steeping tea. Two strainers sat beside the saucers in their trays, waiting to be used. A small milk jug sat beside a lidded sugar bowl in front of the pot. The set was different than the china Fleur had used the last time Fiona had been in her home, but looking at it, Fiona thought that it complemented the other set nicely. Set aside from the tea was a three tiered serving plate filled with an assortment of confectioneries, pastries, and finger sandwiches. Sitting at the table was Fleur, looking very contemplative and astoundingly beautiful.  
  
“I’m rooting for you,” Bill murmured before he walked out of the room, leaving the two women alone. Fiona smiled as he pressed a kiss to Fleur’s head as he passed her.  
  
There was a moment of heavy silence between the women, and Fiona felt her nerves creeping back under her skin. Taking a deep breath, she said, “I, uh...thank you. For inviting me to tea.”  
  
Fleur looked up at the girl and nodded. She didn’t say anything, but Fiona could see that Fleur looked just as nervous as she felt. Fiona stuck the plate out towards her.  
  
“I brought you this,” she said hurriedly. “To replace the one that broke last time. I, um,” she paused momentarily, trying to decide what to say. “You’re really important to Louis,” she said finally. “And he’s really important to me. Your opinion of me and my relationship with him...it means so much. And I brought you a new plate because I’m trying really, really hard to fix this. I love your son, more than I even knew was possible. And I would never want to come between the two of you, so I really don’t want you, well, more your feelings about me, to come between me and Lou. Because he’s really great. And he makes me really happy. And,” Fiona could tell she was rambling at this point, “he’s probably the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”  
  
There was a long, heavy silence. “So I brought you a plate,” Fiona finished weakly.  
  
Fleur looked from the frazzled girl before her to the beautiful china plate in her hand, and couldn’t hold back the smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. “Sit,” she said, taking the plate from Fiona’s hand. “Have tea with me. I would very much like to get to know the girl _mon cher_ loves.”  
  
***  
  
“Tonight?” Dorothy snapped at her parents, who were sitting in front of their pacing daughter with worried expressions on their faces. “Did we all not just live through the worst dinner of our lives last night? And now you want me to go to dinner at the _Burrow?_ ”  
  
“Teddy and Vic want to have a big meal with their family before the wedding tomorrow--”  
  
“That’s the thing, though!” Dorothy interrupted her mother. “ _Family_. We aren’t family!”  
  
“They’ve always been considered our family,” Neville responded hotly, a deep frown on his face. “And just because we’re not blood and you and Fred aren’t getting along--”  
  
“Please, Dad,” she scoffed cynically. “You saw it. It’s a lot more than ‘not getting along.’”  
  
“Bottom line, Thee,” Hannah said. “We’re going, _all three of us_ , to support Teddy and Vic because they consider us a part of their family, whether you agree or not. Tonight is bigger than you and Fred, and I expect you to remember that.”  
  
Dorothy frowned at her parents, knowing that the conversation was closed, and she was stuck attending yet another “family” dinner she didn’t want to be at. Then the next day would be the wedding, at a third family function, except Hope and Fiona would be at that one...   
  
She released a heavy sigh and left the room, wondering if her friends would even talk to her at the wedding. She knew Hope was supposed to be her “date,” but with everything that had happened, she wouldn’t blame them for fraternizing only with their respective boyfriends and pretending that Dorothy didn’t exist. After all, Dorothy had been trying to pretend they didn’t exist for a while now.  
  
As she walked down one of the corridors of the Leaky, she stopped at a window to search the skies for a Ministry owl. Maybe today her life would change for the better. Maybe she’d get something bigger to focus on than how it felt like her entire life was falling apart.  
  
As her eyes scanned the empty grey skies, her heart sunk. It seemed like everything was set on disappointing her today.  
  
***  
  
Louis walked toward his house, enjoying the breeze of the mid-afternoon rather than being stuck at the Ministry like normal. His sister’s rehearsal dinner was tonight, so he’d taken a few hours off to go over to his Gran’s with his mother and help set up.  
  
His weird encounter with Fiona was still weighing heavily on his mind, but he was trying to focus on other things until tomorrow, when they’d be together and could talk it out. As he got closer to the house, he could see his mother was sitting at the table with a brunette, who’s head he could only see the back of. The hair color was enough to steer his thoughts right back to Fiona, and how he was so incredibly nervous about not knowing what she was thinking or feeling.  
  
As he opened the door, he called out, “ _Salut, Maman!_ ”  
  
What he never expected as he walked into the kitchen was for the brunette woman to _actually be_ Fiona.  
  
He froze at the sight of her, eyes wide. “Fi?” he choked out, starting another round of laughter from his girlfriend and his mother.  
  
“Louis!” Fiona said as her face instantly flushed. “Why aren’t you at work?”  
  
“Maman and I are going to the Burrow to set up Vic’s rehearsal,” he said, still shocked that his girlfriend and his mother were sitting at the table together and neither one was dead. “I think the better question is what’s going on _here?!_ ”  
  
“What does it look like, Lou,” Fiona said after sharing a face with Fleur. “We’re having tea.”  
  
“You’re having tea,” he said, his eyes still glued to his girlfriend’s face. “With my mother.”  
  
“Louis, why are you being _stupide_ when you are not?” Fleur asked of him. “Silly questions now, not even _discussing_ the idea of living together before assuming you are? _Mon fils_ , you both are so young, there is much time for that later.”  
  
Louis looked from his mother to Fiona, unsure if this was really happening. “You...you talked to my mother?”  
  
“Lou,” Fiona said as she stood and walked over to him. “I have plans for after graduation, plans that absolutely include you and us and _everything_ , but,” her voice broke off as she searched for the words to best articulate her feelings, “I want us to be us outside of school and Hogsmeade trips before we make any huge decisions.” She then added, “I'd also like to take _part_ in those decisions, Troll.”  
  
Louis stared back at her for a moment before he responded, “Why didn't you tell me that?”  
  
Fiona frowned. “There wasn't time,” she supplied. “And I didn't want to upset you.”  
  
“So you told my mother?”  
  
“She helped me a lot,” Fiona said. “She invited me to tea, and we just got to talking...are you upset?”  
  
“No,” he said quickly. “I don't know what I am. I'm really confused—did you say she invited you here?”  
  
“ _Oui_ ,” Fleur responded, as if reminding the two teens she was still in the room. “She is important to you, and you are important to me.”  
  
Louis looked at his mother, still unable to decide whether he should be really excited about all this or really scared. “ _Merci, Maman. Je t’aime_.”  
  
Fleur smiled. “ _Je t’aime aussi, mon cher_.” She then rose gracefully to her feet and continued, “Let me grab a few things before we go, Louis. I’m sure you can entertain my guest for a moment.”  
  
She winked at Fiona before leaving the room, and the young couple stood in silence for a moment. Fiona reached out and grabbed one of Louis’s hands in hers, caressing the rough skin softly as she muttered, “You’re really not upset?”  
  
With his free hand, Louis cupped her face and forced her to look at him. “Upset? No. I don’t care if we move in together tomorrow or four years from now. I have faith in this. In us.” He pulled the hand holding his to his chest. “This is endgame, Fi. You and me. I can wait as long as you need me to, I know that you’re the one for me.”  
  
“Endgame,” she said slowly, testing the words out on her lips. She smiled at him. “I like the sound of that.”  
  
“Good.” He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her mouth.  
  
She pulled back briefly, her smile bigger now, and said, “Your mum likes me now and I’m very excited.”  
  
“It’s probably because you brought her a new plate, she gets in a tizzy over china.”  
  
Fiona smacked him and attempted to pull away from his body. “Oi, I am a delight.”  
  
“Course you are, love,” he responded, tugging her closer.  
  
“How’d you know I brought her a plate? She put it over in the cabinet.”  
  
He chuckled. “Because I know _you_ , and it’s a wonderfully Fiona thing to do,” he said before pressing his lips swiftly against hers again.  
  
She pulled back with a half hearted glare. “Shut up, troll.”  
  
***  
  
There was a knock on Freddie’s door, ripping him out of his concentration on proofreading and editing his presentations. He let out a string of expletives beneath his breath as he threw his quill down on the desk and leaned back in his chair. “It’s open,” he called.  
  
“Fred.”  
  
He turned to see his father standing in the doorway, an uncommonly serious expression on his face. “Dad, hey,” Freddie said, sitting up straighter in his chair. “What’s up?”  
  
“I think we need to have a conversation,” George replied. He grabbed the other chair in the room and pulled it to where he wanted to sit as Freddie turned to face his father.  
  
“About?” Fred prompted.  
  
George sighed heavily. “Am I putting too much on you too fast?”  
  
“What?” Fred practically yelped. “No, of course not--”  
  
“The way you’ve been acting since you’ve been home,” George explained. “You’re mother and I are concerned that you may not be... _ready_ to take on so much managerial responsibility at the shops--”  
  
“No!” Fred cried. George’s eyes widened at his son’s outburst. “Sorry. You can’t...please, don’t take this away from me, Dad, I promise that I’m ready; I’ve just been in a bad mood but it’s not about the meeting we have scheduled, I swear to Merlin it’s not--”  
  
“I don’t want the Fred I’ve been seeing recently to take over the shops,” George declared. “You’ve not been yourself at all! You’re distant, and you and Thee--”  
  
“Things with Dorothy are fine,” Fred insisted.  
  
George scoffed. “Fine? Did you not attend the same dinner I did?”  
  
Fred squeezed his eyes shut. “I...I’m sorry, about that.” He opened his eyes and looked at George’s frown. “I’ll apologize to Aunt Hannah and Uncle Nev tonight at dinner, and I’ll,” he swallowed thickly, “work on things with Dor, just...just don’t take it all away. Please.”  
  
George sighed and rubbed his hand over his tired face, then through his greying ginger hair. “Alright.”  
  
“Alright?”  
  
George nodded and stood. “Get ready to go, we’re leaving for the Burrow soon.”  
  
Fred nodded and watched his father leave the room. He didn’t release the breath he’d been holding in until his bedroom door clicked shut.  
  
***  
  
Most of the family was already there by the time the Longbottoms arrived at the Burrow. Louis and Dominique were trapped in the kitchen with their mother and grandmother, finishing up the food as Teddy and Victoire made their rounds to each member of the family. They'd had a meeting with the ministry official who would be performing their ceremony earlier in the day and after dinner, along with their wedding party, would run through the ceremony back at Shell Cottage.  
  
Dorothy looked around the all too familiar home, flanked by her parents, and couldn’t help but feel out of place. Lily, Rose, and Roxanne were hiding from their mothers, hoping to avoid helping in any way possible. James and Fred stood with Albus and Hugo, each with Butterbeer in their grasps, as they spoke loudly about new possible Quidditch regulations. Molly sat on one of the softly cushioned seats, pouting because Dominique was unable to sit with her and refusing to go into the kitchen, while Lucy was chatting with Charlie about his latest adventures. Bill was scurrying around, trying to avoid being hexed by his wife, while Percy and Audrey were engrossed in conversation with Hermione. Ron, Harry, Ginny, Angelina, and George were standing in a circle laughing loudly, until George looked over and called, “Nev, mate! You’re late!”  
  
Dorothy watched her father grin cheekily before replying, “Be glad we’re here at all at the speed Hannah was moving,” which earned him a resounding smack from his wife.   
  
As her parents walked over to the circle of their friends, Dorothy heard her mother protest, “Looking as out of your league as I do takes _time_ , Neville.”  
  
Dorothy remained where she was for a moment as she tried to decide where to go. “Uh, hullo.”  
  
Dorothy turned quickly, having not noticed that Fred had approached her. “H-hi,” she spluttered. Her heart was racing.  
  
“Look, uh,” Fred began, his hand already rubbing the back of his neck. “I just wanted to apologize for how I acted at dinner. It was out of line.”  
  
Dorothy blinked slowly at him, trying to process his words. “Thank you?”  
  
“Yeah,” he said, shifting uncomfortably. “I need to tell your parents the same--”  
  
“I can pass on the message if you want,” she replied.  
  
Fred looked at her a moment before continuing, “Nah, I should do it.”  
  
Dorothy nodded. “Well, they’re right over there,” she said, gesturing to them.  
  
Fred straightened. “Well, yes, suppose they are.” He let out a soft chuckle. “Thanks.”  
  
She gave him a funny look. “Alright…”  
  
As Fred walked over to her parents, she shook her head, as if trying to erase the weirdness the chat had left in her thoughts.  
  
“Bloody weird, that was,” Albus said from behind her.  
  
Dorothy jumped with fright. “Merlin, Al, what’re you doing sneaking up on me?”  
  
“I said your name about six times.”  
  
“Did you?”  
  
Albus chuckled. “Yeah.”  
  
“What’s up?”  
  
Albus shrugged. “Sick of them taking the mickey out of me for what went down with Carley,” he said, referring to James and Hugo, who were chuckling happily to themselves, presumably still at Albus’s expense. James saw her staring and gave her a hesitant smile, which she found herself able to return. “Lily won’t even talk to me when our parents aren’t around.”  
  
Dorothy shot him a look. “Do you blame her? You were a real prick.”  
  
Albus looked extremely uncomfortable. “I apologized!” he said defensively.  
  
Dorothy shrugged. “An apology doesn’t fix a broken heart, Al.”  
  
“Broken heart?”  
  
She snorted at the stupid expression on his face. “Oh, come off it, everyone knows she’s practically in love with you.” He stammered slightly, unable to form real words. Dorothy was surprised. “You didn’t know?”  
  
“Ah, Thee!” Harry said before Albus could respond. Both teens turned to look at the older man. “Just the girl I was looking for.”  
  
“What’s up, Uncle Harry?” Dorothy asked.  
  
Harry looked from Dorothy to Albus, then said, “Let’s go outside to talk.”  
  
Dorothy looked at Albus, who shrugged before bolting to Rose, probably to find out if what Dorothy had told him was true. She felt a little bad having blown Carley’s big secret, since she had gone on a date with Kyle, it didn’t really matter too much anymore. Harry led the way to the back door, then outside into the yard. Dorothy followed silently, wondering what this could be about.  
  
“I have something for you,” Harry said, pulling out a letter. “And I wanted to deliver it personally.”  
  
Dorothy took the letter from his outstretched hand and opened it. She could sense he was excited, and her heart started to pick up. Maybe this was about the Academy!  
  
She ripped open the envelope and pulled out the packet of parchment inside. “ _Dear Miss Dorothy Longbottom_ ,” she began reading under her breath. “ _We are pleased to offer you acceptance into the highly prestigious_ ,” her voice fell off for a moment before she finished, “ _Hallow’s Program_.” She looked up from the parchment in her hands to Harry’s beaming face. Dorothy blinked at him, the man she'd admired for so much of her life, unable to believe the words she’d just read. "Are you sure?”  
  
Harry couldn't help but let out a snort. "Am I sure? Of course I'm sure, Thee. You had one of the strongest applications we've seen in...hell, in years, honestly." His face softened slightly as he saw the disbelief on her face. He could practically hear the gears turning in her head. "Thee, you've worked for this. You've earned it more than anyone. You're in...if you want it, of course."  
  
  
As Harry kept talking, Dorothy's heart started beating again and her lungs regained function. She was in if she wanted it. Did she want it?  
  
  
"...it's a huge commitment, and you'll have plenty of time to decide. We're not even sending out acceptances until the end of the week, so take your time, discuss your options with your parents--"  
  
  
"I'm in," she said abruptly. Her voice sounded different than she remembered, as if in the past three minutes of her life, she had evolved into someone unrecognizable, someone she hadn’t met yet.  
  
  
"Thee," Harry began, but she cut him off.  
  
  
"I don't need to think about it, I don't need to talk about it," she said firmly. Confidently. Decisively. "I want this. Where do I sign?"  
  
  
Harry looked surprised. "You want to make it official now?"  
  
  
Dorothy nodded. "I...I need to. I need this to be real. It's my life, my decision...my parents will understand."  
  
  
Harry nodded, understanding her desire firsthand for the security of knowing where her life was going, after all the ups and downs she'd faced over the past few months. He took the bundle of parchment from her and found the contract amongst the pages of information, then Summoned a pen. She took the page and the pen, and was proud of how steady her hand was as she signed her name where he showed her. After it was done, the contract glowed, sealing magically, then vanished back to the Auror Department at the Ministry.  
  
  
Harry looked at Dorothy with a warm smile. "Welcome to the Hallows Program, Recruit."


	35. I Just Love Weddings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I have war stories so you never had to have them."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, friends! If you've made it this far, you're officially CAUGHT UP. This is THE MOST RECENT chapter of this story, so now y'all are stuck waiting for me to write and update (which I attempt to do in a reasonable time frame and most often fail at). Thanks for sticking around!

“I swear to _Merlin_ if you make me late for this wedding--”  
  
“Oh, sod off,” Hope replied as she fluffed her dark red curls. She puckered her lips as she scanned over her face in the mirror, then adjusted the knee length, scribble print dress on her body.  
  
“Literally, people have been born, lived full lives, and died of old age during the time it’s gotten you to get ready,” Fiona lamented. She was sprawled out on Hope’s bed, having been finished for almost twenty minutes now.  
  
“I will hex you,” Hope threatened as she slipped on ruffled leather sandals.   
  
“I was supposed to be there early to save Lou from the wrath of his mum.”  
  
“I'm sure he'll forgive you, just sit so he can see up your skirt,” Hope shot back with a roll of her eyes and a mischievous smirk as she secured a rose gold key pendant around her neck.   
  
“You slag!” Fiona cried, her surprise only half faked. “What if the minister saw?”  
  
Hope shrugged. “Probably make his year.”  
  
Fiona released a string of giggles. “You're wretched.”  
  
There was silence between the two for moment, a distinct pause which was ended by, “You heard from Dora at all?”  
  
Fiona peered up to see Hope’s nervous reflection in the mirror. “No,” she replied, frowning as she caught the minuscule flash of fear across her best mate’s face. “It'll be fine, Hopie, honestly. Weddings are happy, focus on that.”  
  
Hope sighed. “You know as well as I do that's a load of optimistic hippogriff shit.”  
  
“You deserve to have fun.”  
  
“So does she.”  
  
Fiona stood with a sigh. “Those things don't have to be mutually exclusive.”  
  
***  
  
There was a soft rap on James’s bedroom door as he was securing the thinly striped aqua and silver tie around his neck. “Come in,” he called, not turning from the mirror as he struggled with the fancy knot Victoire had forced her future husband and all of his groomsmen into wearing.  
  
“Hey.” The door shut softly, and James turned his head to see his father staring at him in a matching tuxedo, his own tie draped over his shoulders, untied.  
  
“You can’t get this blasted knot right either?” James asked with a chuckle.  
  
Harry shook his head. “Ted’ll probably be able to do it.”  
  
James checked the watch on his wrist. “Is it time to head to Shell Cottage?”  
  
“In a few minutes,” he replied, sitting on his son’s bed. “I wanted to talk to you before we left.”  
  
James stopped fidgeting with the tie and looked at his dad. “What’s up?”  
  
“Hope’s a nice girl.”  
  
James was confused, but nodded. “She is.”  
  
“What did she say her plan was after graduation, Quidditch?”  
  
“Yeah,” James said as he ran a hand through his dark hair, messy in almost the same way Harry’s was. “Just another reason for Mum to buy Harpies gear.”  
  
Harry nodded. “And you?”  
  
James furrowed his brow. “What about me?”  
  
“What’s your plan after graduation?”  
  
James felt his heart pick up speed in his chest. “Well, uh...I...you know--”  
  
“I really _don’t_ know,” Harry replied. He didn’t look mad, just disappointed. James wished he would be mad instead. “Academy acceptances are going out at the end of the week, and there’s not a single application with your name on it.”  
  
“Yeah,” he said, unable to look at his father. “I, uh...I never applied to the Academy.”  
  
“James, what are you thinking? You’re going to have to wait a whole year before you can apply now--”  
  
“I’m not going to apply,” James said. “Not next year, not ever. I don’t want to be an Auror.”  
  
Harry blinked, unsure he’d heard his son correctly. “You...you don’t want to be an Auror?”  
  
James looked at him now, knowing that the words were going to start flowing and he couldn’t stop them. “I know it’s what we talked about and all, but I just sat there, staring at this application that I couldn’t put anything on. I couldn’t do it. Hope helped me realize--”  
  
“You can’t decide your future around a girl, James, no matter how much--”  
  
“Dad,” James cut him off. “I don’t want to be an Auror because I don’t want to be an Auror. Not because of Hope. Hope has been nothing but supportive of me.” Harry said nothing, waiting for James to continue. “I have an apprenticeship.”  
  
“Where?”  
  
He took a deep breath. “Hogwarts.”  
  
“Hogwarts?”  
  
“Professor Drexel selected me as his replacement. I’ll be apprenticing and working with the younger years until Lily graduates, and then,” his voice fell off. “I love teaching, Dad. And I’m good at it.”  
  
“I know you’re good at it, I’ve seen how Lily’s marks have improved,” Harry said. “Why didn’t you tell me?”  
  
James shrugged, looking down again. “I didn’t want you to be disappointed.”  
  
“Disappointed?” Harry asked. James looked up.  
  
“We’d talked about the Auror thing for so long…”  
  
“James, it’s your life. I don’t care what you do, as long as it’s _something_ , and it makes you happy.”  
  
James let out a chuckle and nodded. “It makes me happy.”  
  
Harry stood, then pulled his son into a tight hug. “Professor Potter,” he said. “I like the sound of that.”  
  
James hugged him back tightly. “Me, too.”  
  
***  
  
Dorothy stared at herself in the full length mirror on the back of her bedroom door as she secured a thin, gold chain around her wrist. Her hair was pulled up and out of her stoic face, which stared back at her without emotion. Since she’d signed the next two years of her life away, that seemed to accurately describe how she was feeling: nothing.  
  
It wasn’t an empty nothing, but more of a content nothing. It was a feeling that reassured her that there was more to life than the silly things that she’d been so upset about. All the energy she’d been putting towards being frustrated and uncomfortable with Fred and the Hope and James situation was redirected to something much more positive: her future. After she’d begun to believe that things just weren’t meant to work out for her, this finally had. She just had to get through graduation, and then she could start fresh.  
  
Sure, her parents had been upset that she had made such a huge decision in a manner they deemed to be “rash,” but Dorothy knew deep down, nothing had ever been so right for her. So even though her mother had cried when she told them and they’d been up the whole night discussing the matter at hand, she hadn’t felt even a sliver of doubt.  
  
Dorothy smoothed the light pink dress down over her thighs again, and the back of the high-lo cut tickled the back of her knees. She slipped her feet into sandals and took a heavy breath, then left her room to head downstairs.  
  
“You ready, Thee?” Neville asked his daughter. When Dorothy looked at him, she could read a mix of emotions on his aged face: fatigue, sadness, fear, pride, anger.  
  
Dorothy nodded, then asked, “Where’s mum?”  
  
“Finishing her makeup.”  
  
“Remember that you can’t tell anyone about the Hallows,” Dorothy reminded him. “I only told you and mum because you’re, y’know, you and mum. Uncle Harry said they're not sending out acceptances until the end of the week, I was an exception.”  
  
Neville nodded, and his brooding look intensified. There was silence for a moment. “Please don’t be mad anymore about this.”  
  
Neville looked up at his daughter. “Mad? I’m not mad, I’m…” He paused. “I just wish you’d have discussed this with us first.”  
  
“Dad,” Dorothy said, sending him a reassuring smile. “I have never been more sure of a decision in my life. I finally feel...I finally feel like myself again. There’s nothing here for me anymore, and the Hallows,” she let out a gust of air, the smile on her face becoming dreamier, “they’re going to give me everything I ever wanted.”  
  
“Your family is here,” he pointed out. “Your mother and I.”  
  
“You both are always with me,” she said. He rolled his eyes at the cliche. “I remember the stories you used to tell me as a kid, they inspired me to follow this path. To give what you gave for our world.”  
  
Neville frowned. “I have war stories so you never had to have them.”  
  
She walked over to him and hugged him tightly. “This is my duty.”  
  
She pulled back, and Neville grabbed her face in his hands to fully look at her. “Why couldn’t you be more like your mother?”  
  
Dorothy grinned. “I’m going to be fine.”  
  
He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You’d better be.”  
  
***  
  
Teddy stared into a face that wasn’t one he recognized, and it wasn’t just that he didn’t recognize himself because in times of high emotion, his control often slipped on his Metamorphmagic and his features forgot how they were supposed to look. It was more so the terrifying reality of his impending wedding. He scrunched his nose and Transfigured his face back to it’s normal configuration and the brilliant white blonde locks of his hair back to his usual short, mussed, turquoise style. It helped the bubbling pot of anxiety and excitement in his stomach settle only slightly, but it was more than he’d anticipated.  
  
James clapped his hands down hard onto Teddy’s shoulders. “All right, mate?”  
  
Teddy let out a choked breath, followed by a slight cough. “Yeah, just uh...just setting in. Bloody hell, I’m getting married today.”  
  
“About time if you ask me,” Louis joked from the other side of the room as James made his way across to join him. “How long have you been together, six years? Can’t imagine waiting that long--”  
  
“Trust me, it’s different once you’re out of Hogwarts,” Harry piped up.  
  
“I am out of Hogwarts, Uncle Harry.”  
  
“Fi’s not.” Harry patted Teddy’s shoulder, shocking the purple that had begun creeping into his hair back into turquoise. “Waiting is good. There’s lots of steps.”  
  
“Am I ready for this?” Teddy asked his godfather quickly beneath his breath.  
  
Harry shot him a warm smile in the mirror. “You’ll know the answer to that as soon as you see Vic coming towards you.”  
  
Teddy nodded and cleared his throat, but didn’t say anything. In his reflection, he could see that behind him and Harry, his four other groomsmen sat in a circle around a small table, cracking open Butterbeers. He met Harry’s gaze in the mirror. “Did you feel like this?”  
  
He grinned, then gave a quick nod. “Worse. Was certain Ginny just wasn’t going to show up.”  
  
“Oi, Ted!” Jin called, holding the necks of Butterbeer in each hand. A long section of his wavy black hair fell onto a flat, tan forehead between dark, hooded eyes that sparkled with excitement. “Come loosen up a bit, yeah?”  
  
“I've got a nice, aged Firewhiskey in my bag if we really want to start the celebration,” Keith said with a wide, cheeky grin splitting the dark expanse of his face. Back in their Hogwarts days, Teddy, Keith, and Jin had been thick as thieves. Honestly, not much had changed.   
  
“Unlike you,” Teddy said as he joined the group of men and took a bottle from Jin, “I'd like to remember my wedding, thanks.”  
  
“That's what you think _now_ —”  
  
Teddy laughed. “I'm not above telling Tamara on you.”  
  
Keith looked aghast. “Have you no decency? No loyalty?”  
  
“Nah, Tam is terrifying.”  
  
The boys roared, clinking bottles together and rambunctiously shouting the way only boys with booze and excitement could. Above the noise, Albus declared: “To Ted and Vic!” which the rest of them chorused back.  
  
***  
  
“Wow, there are so many people here,” Fiona muttered to Hope.  
  
“I know,” she replied. “I mean, if you think about it, the Christmas party was just the Weasley side. We’ve got Delacours here too.”  
  
“No wonder they’re all so pretty.”  
  
“Hey!” a voice called. The two Hufflepuffs turned to see Dorothy making her way towards them, a smile on her face. She threw her arms around them and hugged them tightly. “I’m so glad you both are here!”  
  
“Uh, Dora?” Hope said, utterly confused, once they’d all separated. “Are you, I mean...are _we_ \--”  
  
“I think what Hope is failing to say is,” Fiona took over. “Are you back to normal now?”  
  
“I’m sorry,” Dorothy began, pulling a face. “I’ve been crazy, I know.”  
  
“But you’re done with that?” Hope asked brightly.  
  
Dorothy smiled again. “Yes, I’m done with that. I want to enjoy the time we have left without all this,” she gestured wildly between them for a moment, before finishing on the word, “ _stuff_.”  
  
Fiona let out a whoop of joy. “She’s back!”  
  
Hope, however, hung onto Dorothy’s choice of wording. “What do you mean, time we have _left?_ ” she questioned, but before she could push the matter, James came out of nowhere and planted a firm kiss on her mouth. All thoughts of Dorothy and hidden meanings flew out of her brain as she embraced him. He pulled back with a silly grin. “Sorry, couldn’t help that. You look gorgeous.”  
  
“Wow, they’re really cute together,” Dorothy said to Fiona as the two girls looked on at the lovesick couple. Trying to get their attention, she said louder, “You’re really cute together!”  
  
James turned and saw Dorothy, which immediately wiped the easy going grin off his face. “Bollocks, Dor, I’m sorry, I didn’t--”  
  
“Oh, hush up, I’m marvelling over how fabulous you both are together,” she said with a grin. She grabbed his hand and pulled him into a warm hug. “I’m so happy you’re so happy!”  
  
She released a very, _very_ confused James, and let out a chuckle at his expression. “I’m done being crazy,” she informed him.  
  
“She’s back,” Fiona added, wrapping an arm over Dorothy’s shoulder’s. “Longbottom’s back, Longbottom’s back...” she began singing as she jumped up and down, pulling Dorothy along with her. Both girls were laughing.  
  
“Did something happen?” James asked, trying to decide whether this was all a drawn out prank or not.  
  
Dorothy shrugged. “Nah, just had a realization I guess. You hear from the Academy?”  
  
“Nope,” James said. “I’m actually going to be apprenticing at Hogwarts to take over the Defense post once Drexel retires.”  
  
Dorothy’s eyes widened. “No way! You’ll be brilliant at that, you’ve always been a great tutor.”  
  
He smiled at her. “Thanks.”  
  
“What’d your dad say?”  
  
“He was very supportive,” he replied.  
  
Hope snapped her attention to James. “You finally told him?”  
  
James smiled sheepishly at her. “He sort of confronted me this morning. It went better than I expected.”  
  
She pulled his face to hers and gave him a quick kiss. “I knew it would.”  
  
“I’ve actually got to run, just came down to find you, but I’ve got groomsmen duties. Any of you know how to tie an Eldredge knot?” he asked, referring to the two ends of his tie laying loose over his shoulders.  
  
While Hope and Dorothy shared a look, Fiona furrowed her brow and grabbed the pieces of his tie, then quickly began to fold the silk into the intricate layers of the knot. “Is that an Eldredge? I can’t remember.”  
  
James looked down and nodded excitedly. “Oh, sweet!” He grabbed a hold of her wrist. “None of us can do it, come on!”  
  
James pulled Fiona away, who was shouting something about being manhandled to James. Hope and Dorothy giggled at Fiona’s obvious displeasure. There was a moment of silence between the two girls.  
  
“You’re really okay again?” Hope asked, nerves evident in her voice.  
  
Dorothy grabbed Hope’s hand. “I am so sorry for everything I’ve put you through with this whole thing. I’ve been horribly unfair to you. I know you never asked for any of this, and I haven’t made it any easier on you, being snippy and mean and whatnot.”  
  
“Dora, you’ve been understandable! You loved him for so long--”  
  
“I’ve been a right bitch, and you know it.”  
  
Hope sighed and released a small laugh. “I can only imagine how I’d’ve been had the roles been reversed.”  
  
Dorothy grabbed onto Hope’s hand tightly. “I promise, no more drama or craziness from me. You’d best marry that bloke, you understand?”  
  
Hope let out a loud, shocked laugh. “Dora!”  
  
Dorothy giggled. “I told you before, he’s a keeper!” There was a beat of silence before she added, “He’s so in love with you, too.”  
  
Hope blushed violently. “Shut up.”  
  
“I’m serious, I’ve known him my whole life and I’ve never seen him like this before,” she said. Hope couldn’t restrain her smile. “And I expect to be a bridesmaid, obviously.”  
  
***  
  
“James!” Fiona yelled, finally ripping her arm out of his grasp. “I do _not_ enjoy being yanked!”  
  
“You think she’s really back?” James asked, completely ignoring Fiona’s nagging.  
  
She blinked. “ _What?!_ ”  
  
“Dorothy,” he said. “You said she’s back. You think she means it?”  
  
Fiona sighed. “I hope so.”  
  
James nodded. “Me too.” He pushed open a door to reveal five grown men failing to secure their ties around their necks. Mingled shouts and curses flew across the room, and in the far corner, Fiona was almost certain that a horn had sprouted from the top of Teddy Lupin’s head.  
  
“Oh, bugger,” Fiona said, looking over at James. “You’re all hopeless.” He nodded fervently at her. “Alright, blokes, form a line!”  
  
The five men in the room turned to Fiona and James, looking haggard. James pointed excitedly at his own neck. “She can do the knot!”  
  
They scurried into a single file line so fast, Fiona was actually a little scared. First before her was the groom himself. “Hi, Teddy,” she said, grabbing the ends of his tie. “How’re you feeling?”  
  
“Like I’m going to vomit.”  
  
“Well, that’s encouraging. You’re growing a horn.”  
  
He cursed loudly before fixing it. “High emotions kind of--”  
  
  
  
“Take over?” she finished. He nodded, and she tightened the knot at his neck. “Don’t worry. You now have one less thing to worry about.”  
  
He gave her a huge smile of relief. “Thank you so much. You’re a goddess.”  
  
“I’m well aware. Go have a drink.”  
  
“Yes please.” James took his cousin’s arm and led him back over to the makeshift bar, then cracked open a Butterbeer.  
  
“Hello, gorgeous.” Fiona looked up into the face of a man who was decidedly not Louis. Jin’s face was cracked with a blinding white smile.  
  
She grinned. “Hello there.”  
  
“ _OI!_ ” came a shout from Louis, who was standing towards the end of the line.  
  
Jin raised an eyebrow at her as she picked up the ends of his tie. “ _You’re_ his Fiona?”  
  
Fiona snorted. “Meaning am I stupid enough to date him?” Jin sniggered as she finished the knot and tightened it at his neck. “Yes, yes I am.”  
  
“Pity,” he said with a small frown. Laughing, she pushed Jin towards the area where James and Teddy were waiting.  
  
Harry approached her next. “How’re you doing Fiona?” he asked. She smiled at him, butterflies in her stomach. Even though she had met him before and was dating his nephew, Harry Potter still made her nervous.  
  
“Swell,” she responded. “And you?”  
  
“Better now that we can get these blasted knots tied. I’m pretty sure Ted was about to Metamorph himself into a troll and a best man can only do so much.”  
  
Fiona let out a snort. “Happy to help, Mr. Potter.”  
  
Behind him was Keith, who immediately began to teasingly flirt with Fiona. “Aren’t you _married?_ ” Louis snapped hotly.  
  
“I’m just being nice, Lou,” Keith replied with a lopsided grin. He looked directly at Fiona. “Wasn’t I just being nice?”  
  
Fiona nodded, trying to bite back the grin on her face. “So nice. The nicest.”  
  
“Bloody hell, woman,” Louis growled.  
  
Fiona released an unattractive burst of giggles as she tightened the tie around Keith’s neck. “Go away,” she managed, before becoming face to face with Albus. “Ah, Baby Potter.”  
  
He looked affronted. “I’m not Baby Potter, I’m Middle Potter.”  
  
She grasped his tie in her hand and repeated the motions once again. “Sure thing, infant.”  
  
“I’m not sure you understand the concept of a middle child, Fiona.”  
  
Fiona looked at him. “I’m holding essentially a noose around your neck right now--”  
  
“Yeah, I should really stop talking.”  
  
Fiona smirked. “It’d be for the best.”  
  
Once the tie was finished, she patted his cheek kindly. “You’re not half bad, Baby Potter.”  
  
Albus snorted and rolled his eyes. “You’re not so bad yourself, Fiona.”  
  
Once Albus was gone, Fiona was face to face with a slightly agitated Louis. She smirked. “Should’ve known your tie wouldn’t be done.”  
  
Louis rolled his eyes as she picked up the ends. “No one’s ties were done, but I’m the one getting shamed for it?”  
  
She peered up at him through thick, dark lashes. “Your tie is never done. I’ve seen you with a tied tie once in my life, and it was when you met my folks.”  
  
“Clip on,” he said with a toothy grin.  
  
Fiona laughed and shook her head. “Of course it was. How’d you get through Hogwarts without ever learning how to tie a tie?”  
  
“If I recall correctly, it was one of the things you loved most about me.”  
  
Fiona snorted. “Yeah, okay.” She tightened his tie and straightened it just below the Adam’s apple bobbing in his neck. “This feels very domestic of us.”  
  
Her eyes were focused on his lips as they spread into a smirk. “I like it,” he replied. He bent his head and took her mouth with his own hungrily. The passion in his kiss made Fiona’s knees go weak as she clutched him, desperately searching for grounding.  
  
When he pulled away from her, he muttered darkly, “No more flirting with other blokes in front of me.”  
  
She chuckled. “If you promise to snog me like that after I do, I’ll be flirting with every bloke I see.”  
  
***  
  
“I _love_ weddings!” Hope exclaimed happily as she casually sipped on her fourth glass of wine. Beside her at the table sat James on her right, bemusedly allowing her hand to toy with his hair subconsciously. On the other side of James was Fiona, who was happily ignoring Louis even though he was attempting to get her attention by rubbing his hands over her shoulders and back. “I especially love weddings when Dora isn’t being sad anymore.” Dorothy, who sat on the other side of Hope, and had snorted into her own glass of wine.  
  
“Anything I can do for you,” she replied in a sing song voice. She was doing her best to catch up to Hope in glasses of wine consumed, specifically to shut her brain up about the boy casually slumped in the chair on her other side: Fred. Seating charts and meddling cousins are awful.  
  
 _Remember the Hallows,_ a small voice instructed in the back of her mind as Dorothy waved over a waiter to fill her glass again. Beside her, Hope had continued to gush, “I especially love when I’m _in_ weddings.”  
  
James’s face blanched slightly, and he turned his head to  Fiona. “Is that a hint?”  
  
She snorted loudly. “Breathe in and out, Potter, she’s drunk.”  
  
His whole body visibly relaxed. “Right, of course.” He paused for a moment before adding, “The last time she was drunk, she told me I smelled like chocolate and sex under the stars.” Hope’s hand yanked slightly on James’s hair and he yelped.  
  
Fiona’s eyes widened. “Oh, did she now? How curious…” Fiona leaned around James to look at a slightly perturbed Hope. “Should I get you another glass of wine before I ask what you think of me?”  
  
Hope smirked at her. “Oh, honey, you know I’d shag you any day of the week, drunk or not.”  
  
Fiona grinned at James. “Suck it, Potter, she loves me sober!”  
  
“I love you sober,” Louis said, obviously getting frustrated with the lack of attention he was receiving.  
  
“Yeah, you’re alright,” Fiona said, brushing him off.  
  
“That’s it,” Louis said, his frustration only half feigned. He stood and pulled Fiona unceremoniously from her chair. “Back to the dance floor with you.”  
  
“What?” Fiona said, stumbling as Louis began leading her to the group of people dancing. “Hope was about to tell me about how she wants to shag me more than she wants to shag James!”  
  
“Not true,” Hope called. Louis laughed, while James perked up next to her. “Don’t get your hopes up, Potter.” Dorothy laughed loudly and poured the remainder of her wine down her throat.  
  
“Hope, dance with me.”  
  
“Whoa, Dorothy, you can’t just steal my girlfriend,” James said.  
  
“Well, considering she’s my date, I can.” Dorothy rose to her feet and offered Hope her hand. “Hope?”  
  
She pressed a kiss to James’s forehead. “I’ll see you in a bit, love. You should probably go fix your hair, it looks awful.”  
  
“And whose fault is that?” he teased. She merely grinned at him, then flounced off to the dance floor with Dorothy.  
  
After a few minutes, the song playing in the white tent changed to something slower, and James appeared behind Hope. “My turn,” he said, whisking Hope away from Dorothy. Both girls laughed.  
  
“Hmm, Potter, have you been practicing?” Hope teased.  
  
“Maybe,” he said as color blossomed on his cheeks. Hope grinned and planted a firm kiss on his mouth.  
  
Dorothy felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see Freddie looking at her expectantly. “You want to dance?” he asked, the first thing he’d said to her since their strange conversation the day before.  
  
Dorothy blinked rapidly. “Uh, sure. Yeah.”  
  
He held a hand out, and she took it hesitantly. She could feel Hope’s eyes on her, but tried to ignore it, hoping James’s newfound dancing skills would distract Hope from her meddling. Freddie placed the hand that wasn’t already holding hers at her waist, and Dorothy laid her free hand on his shoulder. There was an awkward amount of space between them, so she inched closer and was immediately overcome with a scent that was so unbelievably Fred.  
  
“Nice ceremony,” he said offhandedly.  
  
“Huh?” she replied. “Yeah, it was great. Vic looks amazing.”  
  
“Lou said she’s been a nightmare.”  
  
Dorothy couldn’t help but chuckle. “Sounds like Vic.”  
  
“Happy now though, yeah?”  
  
Dorothy peered over Fred’s shoulder, quickly finding the beaming face of Victoire Weasley, now Lupin, spinning in circles with an equally giddy Teddy. “Looks like it.”  
  
Silence fell between the pair of them. It was almost not strained, almost felt like old times. Dorothy let her head fall forward and rest against him. She knew she wasn’t supposed to, but in this moment, all she wanted to do was tell him. She want to tell him how much she missed him, how much she needed him. She wanted to tell him about the Hallow’s Program, a decision she never would’ve made without a serious discussion with him first, and how much excitement it was giving her. She wanted to tell him everything.  
  
Just as she opened her mouth to speak, she heard him say, “Of course he’s watching.”  
  
She picked her head up to look around. “Who’s watching?”  
  
“My dad.”  
  
Her brow furrowed in confusion. “Why’s he watching?”  
  
“Guess he wants to make sure I’m holding up my end of the deal.”  
  
Her eyes moved to Fred’s face, and she frowned at the detached expression he wore. “Deal?”  
  
“He threatened to hold back on giving me some reigns in the stores if I didn’t shape up.”  
  
Dorothy had a bad feeling about the answer to the question she was about to ask, but couldn’t stop the words from pouring out of her mouth. “Is that what this is? You shaping up to keep the store?”  
  
Fred’s eyes flashed to hers, and Dorothy prayed that her face was just as emotionless as it had been earlier in the day. “He thinks I’ve changed, and he doesn’t like it. Especially because of what happened between us.”  
  
Dorothy forced herself to swallow the lump in her throat, forced herself to breathe, before she replied, “So you want him to think things are improving between us.”  
  
“Yeah, pretty much.”  
  
There was a moment as Dorothy tried to steady herself. “And once we’re back at school? Will it be back to painful silences and pretending the other doesn’t exist?”  
  
“I doubt that.” Dorothy felt a swell of hope in her chest, and she looked up at him. He wasn’t looking at her as he continued, “Now that you’ve come to terms with Hope and James dating, I assume we’ll be seeing quite a bit more of each other. And with Fi, Hope, and James, there won’t really be room for silence, right?”  
  
Dorothy nodded numbly. She’d never felt more unwanted than in this moment. “Course,” she said, unable to restrain the cold edge to her voice.  
  
His gaze snapped to her. “What?”  
  
“Don’t,” she said, focusing her gaze at a paper lantern over his shoulder. “Wouldn’t want Georgie to think we weren’t getting along, no? Can’t risk the future of Wheezes.”  
  
“Dor,” he said, sounding impatient.  
  
“You’ve made it very clear that you have no interest in fixing things, Fred. I’m happy to keep up the charade for your dad, you’ve certainly done enough for me over the years to have earned that courtesy. Once we’re back at school, our friends will fill in the gaps for us, and we won’t ever have to worry about forcing conversation. I get it.”  
  
“Dor.”  
  
“Just finish the dance, Fred.”  
  
He said nothing in reply. _Hallows_ , the voice reminded her. _One more term, and then you're gone._


End file.
